S2 E27 -Inner Authority: Learning to Trust Yourself in an Uncertain World

LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast

Inner Authority: Learning to Trust Yourself in an Uncertain World

Who—or what—is guiding your life?

In a world filled with competing opinions, social pressure, uncertainty, misinformation, and constant demands for your attention, it has never been more important to reconnect with your inner authority.

In this deeply personal episode, Jan Engels-Smith and Micah Schwader explore the profound difference between living from external authority—allowing others, institutions, fear, or culture to dictate your choices—and living from the quiet confidence of your inner knowing.

Micah shares intimate stories from his own life, including how losing trust in his intuition as a child eventually led to decades of searching for truth, identity, and belonging. He reflects on how his transgender journey became one of reclaiming his inner authority after years of listening to everyone else's expectations instead of his own soul.

Jan expands the conversation by examining how many cultures teach us to seek validation and permission from outside ourselves—whether through religion, institutions, experts, or societal expectations. She offers a different perspective: true inner authority doesn't need to be loud, defensive, or prove itself. It is calm, grounded, and quietly certain.

Together they explore:

• The difference between inner authority and outer authority