A few days ago my girlfriend came back from a trip and gave me a gift of Medicine Cards. They are a deck of cards with animals paintings on each card. It came with a book where the author described what each animal meant in terms of a person's life. (A beaver was acquainted with action.)
I enjoyed looking through the deck of cards. But I was feeling weighed down by the description book. I realized I had an affinity for the animals images. But I didn't care for what another person's meaning was for each animal. No matter how eloquently the person wrote, it was still their interpretation. I was more curious to look at the cards and see what came up for me.
So I let go of the book and felt great.
I find it takes some work to hear my own voice amidst a world that wants me to see things its way. But it's so worth the effort.