Trust your own instincts, go inside, follow your heart. Right

The actress and artist Lesley Ann Warren, whose career has carried her through the heights and depths of the creative life, once offered a truth both simple and eternal: “Trust your own instincts, go inside, follow your heart. Right from the start. Go ahead and stand up for what you believe in. As I’ve learned, that’s the path to happiness.” These words, though soft in tone, ring with the strength of a soul that has known struggle, rejection, and triumph. They are not merely advice for the artist, but a philosophy of living—a call to listen to the quiet voice within that whispers truth even when the world shouts its doubts. For to trust oneself is among the greatest acts of courage; to follow one’s heart is to walk the narrow path where true happiness is found.

The origin of this wisdom arises not only from Lesley Ann Warren’s life as a performer, but from the universal journey of self-discovery that every human soul must travel. In the world of art, where approval is fickle and expectation heavy, Warren learned that external praise cannot replace inner conviction. The artist who bends to every opinion loses their own shape. Thus she speaks as one who has wrestled with uncertainty and emerged with clarity: that instinct, that inner compass of the soul, must be trusted even when its direction seems uncertain. For within every heart lies a spark of divine wisdom—an intuition that, when followed with faith, leads us toward authenticity and joy.

To trust your instincts is to believe that the soul knows what the mind has not yet reasoned. The ancients knew this well. The philosophers of Greece called it the daimonion—a sacred inner guide that whispers truth when reason falters. The Chinese sages spoke of it as the Tao, the Way that flows through all things, teaching harmony to those who listen. To follow your heart is not to abandon reason, but to align reason with the rhythm of your deepest being. The world may change its standards with every season, but the voice within remains constant, uncorrupted by fear or pride. To ignore it is to betray yourself; to honor it is to live freely.

Yet Warren’s words carry another command: to stand up for what you believe in. For instinct without action is like a seed that never breaks the soil. The path to happiness is not a dream of comfort—it is a pilgrimage of courage. Those who listen to their inner truth must also defend it in a world that often mocks sincerity and rewards conformity. To rise and speak for one’s beliefs, even when opposed, is the mark of a noble soul. History remembers not those who followed the crowd, but those who followed their conscience. Galileo stood before the mighty Church to proclaim that the Earth moved around the sun. He risked everything—status, safety, and peace—for truth. Though condemned, his light endured, for it was lit by conviction, not approval. So too must each of us bear our small share of that same courage: to stand firm in what we know to be right, even when the world demands silence.

Warren also speaks of going inside—a phrase simple yet profound. To go inside is to turn away from the noise of the outer world and listen to the whispers of the inner one. It is the practice of self-reflection, of silence, of meditation, of truth-seeking. The ancients called this the journey into the heart’s temple, where wisdom waits like a flame that never dies. Too often we search for answers in the voices of others—teachers, leaders, crowds—but forget that the truest teacher lives within. Only in the quiet of the soul can we hear the music that was written for us alone.

The path to happiness, as Warren reveals, is not paved with wealth, fame, or acceptance. It is built through alignment—when thought, feeling, and action become one. When you trust your instincts, you live with authenticity; when you follow your heart, you move with purpose; when you stand up for what you believe, you live with integrity. Together, these form the trinity of a life well-lived. Happiness is not something to be chased—it is the natural consequence of living in harmony with oneself.

So, my child, take this wisdom as a guide for your own journey. Begin each day in silence, listening for that inner voice that knows the way. When doubt comes, trust your instincts, for they are the echo of your truest self. When the world tempts you to follow its noise, go inside, where peace resides. When fear urges you to shrink, stand up for what you believe, for courage is the breath of the soul. Do not seek happiness as a prize; let it unfold as a reward for living honestly. For the path to joy is not found in the applause of others, but in the quiet certainty that you have followed the truth within your own heart.

Thus remember the words of Lesley Ann Warren—not as mere advice, but as a timeless calling: Live bravely. Speak truthfully. Love deeply. And above all, trust yourself. For no treasure on earth is greater than a heart that knows its own path and walks it with faith.