Finding Our Yes and Our No: Listening to the Truth Within

Your intuition isn’t lost, it’s waiting to be heard.

May 28, 2025

Magical Guest Series with Women’s Empowerment Coach Megan Walrod

I discovered Megan Walrod because she was more engaged… more involved… and more positive than ANYONE else in the Substack partner community I’m involved with. One day, I reached out to her and simply said—

“I see you. I see you here every day, cheering people on… taking the time to reach out… to be kind… to read the words of others… to participate… to be an active, generous contributor to this community. Thank you.”

In a world where so many people rush by barely noticing others, Megan stands out as a breath of kindness—a deep heart in a world of busy brains.

Through her own life experience and her work empowering women to live their truth, Megan has become an expert on helping people discover what a YES! feels like in the body and how to honor that feeling.

I’ve asked her to share with us that secret…

Because training your unique magic will all ways require you to be wholly and completely your Self.

Roo smirks at me. “Any more excuses in there?”

I try to swallow but my mouth is dry. I take a deep breath.

“So, you’ll do it, Sabina?” Ruth asks, shuffling side to side.

I look from face to face, taking in the three sets of eyes tracking me. I don’t want to say yes just to please them—like I did with Reece all the time. I close my eyes and only then notice that my fingers are tingling. They want to paint. I want to paint. This isn’t how I thought it would look right away, when I committed to making painting my center stage. But I know by now the Selkies work in mysterious ways.

I open my eyes and smile. “Yes,” I assert with more confidence than I feel. I may be signing on for just another kind of crazy, but at least this way, I’m doing something I love. And it’s for a great cause.

There’s a fluttering in my chest, and then I’m sandwiched in hugs. Saying yes to the Library Ladies feels different. This time, I’m also saying yes to myself.

(Excerpt from Megan Walrod’s forthcoming novel, “It’s Always Been Me”)

There’s a quiet revolution that happens when a woman starts listening to herself.

Not the voice of her mother, or her boss, or the algorithm. Not the inner critic that says, Who do you think you are? Not even the people who love her and want the best for her.

I’m talking about the moment she starts listening to her own body. Her own intuition. The part of her that knows what’s true, what’s right for her, even when it doesn’t make sense.

In a world that’s louder, faster, and more demanding than ever, this kind of deep listening isn’t just important: it’s essential.

We’ve been conditioned to tune out our own truths to fit in or keep the peace, but that only leaves us more disconnected and exhausted. Reclaiming our yes and no, our intuition and power, is a radical act of freedom and healing, not just for ourselves, but for the world around us.

For me, that journey began with learning to decipher my yes and my no. Not just intellectually. Not just logically. But somatically. Viscerally.

And that changed everything.

What YES feels like

A true yes doesn’t scream. It resonates.

It’s a breath that goes deeper. A spine that straightens. A smile that creeps in before you even realize you’re smiling.

My yes often feels or looks like:

A bubbly excitement.
Clapping my hands or snapping my fingers spontaneously.
A sudden clarity, even if the path is still uncertain.

Yours might look and feel different. But it speaks through the body. Your body knows.

Riding a bike for the first time in a long time on the coast of Bali turned out to be a BIG YES for me!

What NO feels like

A real no isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s just… heavy.

Tight chest. Pit in the stomach. That thing your body does when you’re saying yes on the outside but screaming no on the inside.

Some no’s are loud: rage, resentment.
Some are quiet: numbness, dread.

But they’re always sacred signals. Not signs that you’re failing. Signs that it’s time to come home to yourself.

Pitfalls along the way

As women, many of us have been taught to override our yes and no, saying yes when we mean no, and no when we mean yes. It’s like crossing the wires on a car battery: it drains us and leads to burnout.

We say yes out of obligation, no out of fear, and ignore our body’s wisdom when it clashes with the “good girl” narrative. We’re rewarded for self-abandoning, but that approval comes at a cost: our aliveness, freedom, and authenticity.

Reclaiming your intuition means untangling years of conditioning. It’s messy, holy work. Even after deep healing, it can be hard to trust your inner voice, especially when the truth feels risky. (I’ve been there, like the time I said yes to a proposal my gut was screaming no to.)

Sometimes we need to forgive ourselves. Sometimes we just need to practice.

The good news? You can reconnect with your intuition and learn to trust what it tells you.

How do you know what your intuition is really saying?

Here’s what’s helped me (and what I help my clients do):

Get into your body first.
Not your head - your body. This isn’t about stillness, it’s about embodiment. Do something that moves energy and reconnects you to aliveness: a solo dance party, a long walk, time in nature, whatever helps you shift out of mental noise and into sensation. Don’t try to “hear” anything yet. Just be.
Invite in play and pleasure.
Let joy, movement, or beauty guide you back to yourself. When you feel even a spark of delight or release, you’re getting closer to the frequency of truth. You’re unclenching, softening, creating space for wisdom to rise.
Listen from that place.
This is where intuitive knowing begins to emerge. Try journaling or automatic writing, letting your pen move without editing or censoring. Ask yourself: What do I really want to say yes to? What do I really want to say no to? What am I frustrated by? What am I longing for? If I wasn’t feeling guilty or obligated, what would I choose?
Be with your truth.
You don’t have to act on it right away. Sometimes clarity takes time. Sometimes the “no” comes before the “yes.” Simply acknowledging what’s true is powerful. Thank your body for speaking. Thank yourself for listening. Over time, as you practice tuning in and paying attention, you’ll start to recognize what your truth feels like. Those subtle sensations and signals become easier to decipher.
Get the support you need.
Living your truth can be tender and brave work. When I ended my engagement, I didn’t do it alone! I brought my truth into the therapist’s office because I knew I needed backup. Ask yourself: What kind of support would help you trust and follow through on what you know?

This isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a relationship: with yourself, your body, and your truth. And every time you listen, that relationship grows stronger.

Taking time to check in with myself and listen deeply as the day begins.

The courage to follow it

Here’s the truth: honoring your yes and no might disappoint others. It may shake up relationships or confuse people.

But it will also set you free.

I remember realizing: I’d rather disappoint someone else than disappoint myself. That single truth taught me that I matter too: my happiness, needs, and voice are just as important as anyone else's.

This isn’t about being unkind. It’s about being honest. I stopped living for approval and started living in alignment with my truth because I knew I was here on purpose, and I couldn’t live that purpose by betraying myself.

You don’t have to be fearless, just willing. Willing to listen, trust, and take the next brave step. Don’t wait to feel ready or courageous enough to do it… courage comes after you do the thing that scares you.

You’re allowed to change your mind. You’re allowed to want more. You’re not selfish or too much. When you honor your yes and your no, you come alive. You come home to yourself.

And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Sabina’s journey from saying yes to others to saying yes to herself

At the heart of the excerpt you read above is a simple, powerful act: embodied listening. In It’s Always Been Me, Sabina, my debut novel’s protagonist, closes her eyes, tunes into her body, and realizes that saying yes to a request is also saying yes to herself. That quiet moment marks the beginning of reclaiming her life.

In It’s Always Been Me (out June 10), Sabina has done everything “right” yet still feels something essential is missing. When an old dream resurfaces, she must decide if she’s willing to risk everything to finally say yes to herself.

This story is for anyone who’s felt disconnected from their voice, torn between people-pleasing and soul-listening, and longing to come home to their truth. If this conversation about yes and no is stirring something in you, I hope Sabina’s journey offers a mirror, and perhaps even a map, to guide you home to yourself.

Learn more & pre-order here.

Reflection prompts

✨ When was the last time you said yes even though your body was saying no?

✨ What do you truly want to say yes to but haven’t yet?

✨ What might change if you started listening to and trusting that quiet knowing inside you?

Take a moment to sit with these questions. Notice what’s stirring inside you. There’s no right or wrong answer here.

And I’d love to hear how this article resonates for you. What’s coming up - questions, challenges, or celebrations - on this theme of listening to your intuition? Drop a comment below and let’s continue the conversation.