Chapter One: What I’ve Discovered

Sometimes the most powerful permission we receive isn’t from someone else—it’s from a story that reminds us it’s okay to walk a path that doesn’t look conventional. I first felt this while reading about Colonel Sanders, the man behind KFC. He didn’t invent his secret recipe until he was 65 years young. Before that, he had been a locomotive fireman, tire salesman, gas station operator, insurance agent, amateur obstetrician, ferryboat entrepreneur, and more.

The list is remarkable—but the lesson is even more so: curiosity, experimentation, and leaning into experiences that feel unusual can open doors we never expected.

I’ve explored spiritual practices, plant medicine, and ancient traditions that approach awareness from a completely different lens. So I can see that my own "Colonel Sanders style backstory poster has quite a few unusual bullet points.

That story gave me permission to lean fully into what felt strange, unexpected, or unconventional in my own life. It helped me embrace intuition, energy work, spiritual exploration, and healing in ways I never would have otherwise.

One moment that sticks out vividly from this journey happened in 2017, when I was serving as the guest experience leader for a newly launched branch of a mega church in Melbourne, Florida. Weekends were a whirlwind—three to four experiences, dozens of volunteers, and a constant stream of guests. My role kept me moving: greeting newcomers, praying with those who asked, and supporting the volunteers who made everything run smoothly. Encouraging volunteers is its own ministry, often overlooked, but essential for creating a space where everyone feels seen and welcome.

On this particular weekend—probably Mother’s Day—the church was alive with extra stations: photo booths, water tables, Bible distribution, prayer tents, and snack tables. As the sanctuary began filling, the crowd thinned outdoors. That’s when a woman came rushing in from the parking lot, her face radiant with excitement.

“I made it!” she said, breathless.

I walked over to greet her. I recognized her instantly.

“Hey there… it’s Shaquina, right?”

She smiled and shook her head. “It’s Shaniqua. I’ve never been here before. I just drove non-stop from South Carolina. I've never been to Florida. She chuckled "There’s no way we could have met.”

I smiled back and said, “Welcome. Obviously you’re where you’re supposed to be today.” we hugged, and I handed her a T-shirt, pointed her toward the sanctuary, and moved on.

Later, I couldn’t shake the moment. There's no way we could have ever met, and yet I greeted her by name. It was a highly unusual name, and yet I had all the syllables—only slightly out of order. How could I have known it?

That wasn’t the first time something like that had happened. And it won’t be the last. Over time, I began to notice patterns: intuitive knowing, a subtle sense of timing, the ability to perceive details before they were revealed.

I’ve lived a life that doesn’t fit neatly into one category. I’ve worked in military intelligence, traveling the world and learning to read people under pressure. I spent a decade in BioPharma research and development, studying the invisible processes that sustain life. I’ve handled nuclear fuel at the bottom of reactors, witnessing firsthand how unseen forces can carry immense power.

Alongside that, I’ve spent years in quiet rooms practicing massage, meditation, and energy work—learning to feel what can’t be seen, and to trust what doesn’t always have immediate explanation. I’ve studied human behavior, microexpressions, and consciousness. I’ve explored spiritual practices, plant medicine, and ancient traditions that approach awareness from a completely different lens. So I can see that my own "Colonel Sanders style backstory poster has quite a few unusual bullet points.

Across all these experiences—science, strategy, healing, and exploration—I kept noticing the same thing: there are patterns beneath the surface of life that most people overlook. And once you begin to see them, you can’t unsee them.

These are the truths I keep coming back to.

1. The Body is Intelligent

The body knows what to do. It heals, adapts, and communicates if we take the time to listen. Most of the time, we don’t need to force it—we just need to create the conditions for it to thrive.

I’ve seen this on the massage table, where my hands instinctively find areas of tension before a client even mentions them. I’ve felt subtle rhythms in craniosacral work that revealed patterns I hadn’t yet formally studied—only to later discover they aligned exactly with established systems.

Outside of that setting, I’ve experienced the same intelligence in nature. During sea state permitted turtle nesting surveys, nests are often invisible after 5-6 weeks have passed. The sand shifts, the markers fade, and all that remains is an estimate. Yet time and again, I’ve been able to stand in a stretch of beach and feel where to begin digging.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/bc2ae2_963735c63b24436ebd3d21b464ccd9e7/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Sea turtle hatchlings spotted as part of our state permitted sea turtle nesting surveys along the Florida Space Coast. These activities were conducted under a permit issued by the state, and I was a listed on the permit for these activities.

Even as a child, I noticed this kind of awareness. I could spot four-leaf clovers without searching—walking through a field, something would catch my attention, and there it would be. Years later, that pattern still follows me.

Field of clovers I spotted while in Peru.

I discovered 4-leaf clovers everywhere I looked.

The 5-leaf clover.

In corporate and military environments, the body communicates just as clearly. Subtle shifts in posture, breath, or tension can reveal misalignment in a team, uncertainty in a plan, or unspoken resistance in a room. The body is always speaking. The question is whether we are paying attention.

2. Life Continues Beyond the Physical

What we experience as death is not the end. Awareness, identity, and energy persist.

I’ve encountered this through experiences that are difficult to explain but impossible to ignore. In moments of mediumship, I’ve witnessed communication that carried the personality, memory, and presence of someone no longer living. In meditation and guided journeys, I’ve felt awareness extend beyond the boundaries of the body.

During time spent in Peru and the Andes, working with spiritual practitioners, I experienced forms of connection that challenged everything I thought I understood about life and consciousness. These weren’t abstract ideas—they were direct experiences of something continuing, something aware, something present.

Even in nature, I’ve felt this continuity. Animals respond to presence in a way that suggests awareness far beyond instinct. I’ve sat still long enough for wild creatures—deer, squirrels, raccoons, even birds of prey—to approach without fear. In those moments, the interaction feels mutual, not forced.

These experiences have reshaped the way I see life and death. Not as opposites, but as transitions within a larger field of awareness.

3. Energy and Intuition Are Real, Practical Tools

The body holds more than physical tension—it holds emotion, memory, and information that hasn’t yet surfaced. Learning to pay attention to these signals changes everything.

The moment with Shaniqua was one of many. Over time, I’ve come to trust that intuitive knowing isn’t random—it’s a form of perception.

In my work, I’ve watched intuition guide my hands to the root cause of discomfort, even when the pain was expressed elsewhere. I’ve mapped out energy pathways and acupressure points before ever studying them formally, only to later find that what I sensed aligned with established systems.

In nature, this same awareness shows up in different ways—finding turtle nests, spotting rare clovers, or knowing where and when animals will appear.

In corporate and coaching environments, intuition becomes just as practical. I’ve walked into rooms and immediately sensed alignment or hesitation. I’ve helped individuals identify their “true north”—their deeper calling—often before they could articulate it themselves. I’ve known when to step away from projects or roles, even when the decision didn’t make sense at the time, only to see those paths dissolve shortly after.

Tools such as Tarot, pendulums, and tea or coca leaf readings can help focus this awareness—they bring subtle information into view without creating it.

4. Compassion, Responsibility, and Alignment Matter

How we move through the world matters. How we respond to stress, how we treat ourselves, how we align our actions with our values—these shape our experience in ways we often underestimate.

I’ve seen this in leadership, where teams thrive or fail based on alignment and integrity. I’ve seen it in coaching, where breakthroughs only occur when someone takes responsibility for their path.

Even in everyday life, small shifts—patience instead of reaction, awareness instead of avoidance—change the dynamic of relationships completely. Alignment isn’t abstract.

It shows up in the body, in decisions, in outcomes. When we ignore it, we feel the consequences. When we honor it, things begin to move with a different kind of ease.

5. Healing is a Partnership

No practitioner, no system, and no technique replaces the body’s natural ability to heal.

My role has never been to fix anyone. It’s to create the conditions where healing can occur—and to support the process as it unfolds.

I’ve seen this in massage, where the deepest shifts happen when a client allows their body to participate. I’ve seen it in coaching, where real transformation occurs only when someone takes ownership of their direction.

Even in nature, this pattern holds true. Animals approach when there is trust. Turtle hatchlings emerge when they are ready. Nothing meaningful is forced—it is allowed.

Healing, growth, and connection are always co-created.

Closing Reflection

These discoveries aren’t theories. They are patterns I’ve observed across environments, disciplines, and experiences.

The body is intelligent.

Life continues beyond the physical.

Energy and intuition are real.

Alignment matters.

Healing is a partnership.

Together, they form a way of seeing—a way of living—that continues to reveal itself the more attention I give it.

About the Author

Steve Wooten is a multidisciplinary practitioner whose life bridges science, strategy, and spirituality. With a background in military intelligence, BioPharma research, and nuclear energy, he has worked in high-stakes environments where precision and perception are critical.

Alongside this, Steve has spent years as a massage therapist, intuitive practitioner, and coach, helping individuals reconnect with their body’s natural intelligence and their deeper sense of purpose. His work integrates nervous system awareness, energy perception, and practical life alignment to support meaningful transformation.

Through his work and writing, Steve offers a grounded yet expansive perspective on healing, awareness, and what it means to live in alignment with one’s true nature.

SEO & Discoverability

This series explores body intelligence, intuition, and human awareness through real-world experiences across healing, leadership, and personal growth. It integrates massage therapy, nervous system regulation, energy work, and consciousness studies with insights from military intelligence, corporate leadership, and nature-based observation.

Readers interested in intuitive development, spiritual growth, mind-body connection, holistic healing, and purpose-driven living will find practical insights throughout. Topics include energy awareness, chakra systems, meditation, psychedelics, emotional intelligence, and career alignment.

This work bridges science and spirituality in an accessible, grounded way, offering value to professionals, veterans, coaches, and anyone seeking deeper clarity, resilience, and connection.