Trusting Intuition When The Path Seems Dark

As I am surrounded by plants—whether in my role as CEO of a landscape design company or our garden and gathering space, Nuluum—it is impossible not to notice how much growth happens beneath the surface. Roots deepen and strengthen long before anything pushes through the soil.

That imagery was echoed in a recent workshop at Nuluum where we explored intuition—how to hear it, how to trust it, and how to stay with it even when the way forward feels uncertain.

It is the unseen work that makes visible growth possible.

Our lives, our work, and our vision unfold in much the same way.

The Myth of Intuition as an Easy Path

We often hear phrases like “follow your bliss” or “trust your intuition.” They sound beautiful—and they are true—but they can be naively misunderstood.

Following your intuition does not guarantee ease or comfort. In fact, it often asks you to walk directly into unknown territory.

When I resigned as CEO of Bodhi Center in 2020, I had set up a year of speaking and facilitating work that would meet my financial obligations. My last day at Bodhi was March 13, 2020. Within weeks, nearly 70% of that planned work was eliminated as a result of the pandemic. I trusted my guidance on my timing to leave Bodhi, and still, the ground shifted under my feet.

Moments like that can make us question ourselves: Was I wrong to follow my intuition?

We can all fall into this oversimplified expectation—I certainly do. I catch myself expecting that if I follow my intuition, life should suddenly become easier, more comfortable, more certain. But the truth is, intuition does not promise comfort—it promises alignment. And that really takes something. It requires that you go beyond an adolescent perspective. It requires that you do the work that follows the initial inspiration.

When you choose intuition, you choose aliveness—even when it is messy, inconvenient, or unpredictable.

And even in the disorientation, something is at work beneath the surface, preparing us for what comes next.

The Tension That Produces Growth

In recent weeks I have been more physically engaged in the operations of Nathan Wright Landscape Design and Nuluum, our busiest season of the year. The heightened activity has allowed me to sleep more deeply than I have in a very long time.

The tension of effort, engagement, and involvement is producing new results in my body and spirit. It is a reminder that growth rarely comes from convenience or comfort.

In a society where nearly everything is designed to be easy—groceries delivered, laundry picked up, entertainment on demand—it is important to remember that real growth and real expansion isn’t about prioritizing ease.

Trusting the Unseen

For more than 15 years, a line from the Tao Te Ching has been an anchor for me:

“The path into the light seems dark.”

It does not say the path is dark—it says it seems dark. When you are stepping into transformation, you often cannot see where it leads. You only know that you must keep going.

Nuluum itself is a living example of this truth. For years, much of the vision has been underground. There were seasons of conversations, planning, and inner work. There were times when it seemed like nothing was happening. And yet, roots were deepening and strengthening beneath the surface.

The vision is unfolding—slowly, nonlinearly, often invisibly.

And so it is with your life. When you follow your guidance, your knowing, your intuition—the vision is unfolding, whether you like what you see in the moment or not.

Following intuition is not naive. It is courageous. It asks for patience, presence, and deep trust in what is not yet visible.

The invitation is to trust that the unseen development is happening—that the roots are already doing their job. So I will leave you with this question:

Where in your life are you being asked to trust the growth that is happening beneath the surface?

If this reflection resonates with you, I’d love to stay connected. If you’d like to receive weekly prompts like this, along with practices for your own path, subscribe to my newsletter.