Why Doesn't This Feel Right?

(cheerful music) Headspace Studios. (calm music) Hi, it's Dora, and welcome to Radio Headspace. So there are moments in life where you don't really know what the right decision is. Maybe you've thought about it, but something in you still feels unsure. And even after you've made the decision, it doesn't quite sit right. A friend of mine was telling me about something like this recently. She had said yes to something at work. It was a last minute request and she already had a lot on her plate. Deep down, she knew she probably should have said no, but in the moment it felt easier to say yes, to be helpful and supportive and not rock the boat. And almost immediately after, she felt it, that feeling of, "I shouldn't have agreed to this." And that feeling lingered, to the point that it was keeping her up at night, replaying the conversation and going over it over and over and over again. And I think many of us know that feeling. When we say yes, but something in us wants to say no. It doesn't always show up right away. It may come later, when you're alone, trying to fall asleep, or when the moment has passed, but the feeling is still there. You know, there's the replaying of the thoughts in the mind, that sense of tightness in the body, and the questioning of, "Why did I agree to that?" It's easy in those moments to judge ourselves, to think we made a mistake or that we should have handled it differently. But when you look a little closer, it's not just about the decision. It's about that moment where something in you knew. And maybe what's uncomfortable is not that we said yes, but that we didn't listen to that part of ourselves. I've definitely had moments like that too. I remember one in particular when I said yes to something that on paper made complete sense. It was a great opportunity. It felt aligned with where I thought I should be going. And in that moment, I didn't hesitate. I said yes. But later that day, I could feel it, that same feeling my friend was describing, this kind of tension and pulling, like something in me wasn't settled. I remember sitting with it, trying to talk myself out of it, saying things like, "No, this is a good thing. You should be grateful for this, don't overthink it." But the more I tried to convince myself, the more that feeling stayed. Something wasn't quite right. And this is the part that can be easy to miss. It doesn't always come in a clear sentence. It shows up as discomfort, restlessness, as that feeling you carry with you. And when I finally stopped trying to explain it away and just kind of embrace it, I was able to see it differently. Underneath that discomfort, there was something being pointed to, not the opportunity itself, but what...