All of us have an inner voice – a ‘still, small voice’ which can serve as a constant guide, teacher and advisor if we allow it to. This voice is commonly referred to as intuition, but in fact it is the voice of your Higher Self trying to show you how to live, work and play in the most effective, joyful way possible. If you learn to listen to this inner voice and follow its promptings, your life will change in more ways than you can currently imagine. You will move from ‘hoping’ that you are doing things right to ‘knowing’ that you are doing so.
Knowing the difference between your own thoughts and the inner voice is a skill which develops with practice. However, there are certain rules which you can apply immediately to discern the voice of your Higher Self.
• The voice of the Higher Self will never tell you to harm yourself or other people in any way – physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually.
• The voice of the Higher Self will never discourage you or put you down, but will always be uplifting, encouraging and peaceful.
• The voice of the Higher Self will sometimes encourage you to do things which you don’t want to do (such as to take more care of your physical body) but when it does so you will know without a doubt that it has your very best interests in mind.
You have not reached this point in your life without already having heard the voice of your Higher Self. There have undoubtedly been times when you have heard it loud and clear, telling you to visit someone, say something comforting to a friend, study a certain subject or avoid doing something which could be harmful or negative. Listening to the voice as a matter of course is however, a skill that develops slowly. Here are ways in which you can listen to the voice more effectively…
• Get in to habit of being quiet, not only during meditation, but at other times too. It is easy to distract ourselves with sources of noise, but it is in times of silence when the inner voice is most easily heard.
• Pay attention to your feelings. The ‘voice’ does not always use words to convey its messages, but often speaks in the form of hunches, instincts and gut feelings.
• Spend time regularly in a natural environment, whether it is sitting by the ocean, walking through woodland or exploring mountains. In these natural settings the inner voice may choose to speak to you through nature itself.
• Keep a journal of your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Journaling is a very effective way of listening to the voice within. Simply write down a question in your journal and then write down whatever answer comes to you.
• Whenever you hear the voice within, follow its guidance. It is no good listening for advice from your Higher Self if you never take that advice. You need to use what you hear if you are ever going to reach the point where your life is in total harmony with the universe.
The more you listen, and the more you heed whatever advice or guidance you are given, the easier it will be for you to rely on your inner voice. Once you have learned to rely on that voice as a matter of habit, your life will become a much more joyous, successful and peaceful adventure.
