In today’s social media-driven world full of carefully curated feeds and filters, discovering and connecting with your true, authentic Self can sometimes feel like a downright impossible feat. The truth is, you are born knowing what’s true for you and feeling more connected to your sense of curiosity rather than comparison.
Once the final vestiges of childhood depart our decision-making mindset as adults, we can often feel untethered from any essence of whimsy or wonder. However, fear not, It is still possible to invite that same innate wisdom of your soul to speak once again anytime you are willing to tune-out the ranting static of ‘not enough’ and tune-in to the freedom that awaits you once you align your mind, body and spirit with the energetic frequency known as your Inner Voice.
But, what about the internal noise that fills our minds? How do we quiet the incessant and often-nonsensical unhelpful static so that space is made to access our inner voice? In other words, how do we listen to our own truth?
When we are faced with a pivotal choice it is amazing how many of us choose to ask everyone for what to do next except the one entity that lives with the effects of your decisions: The true you. Why do we give up our power? Why do we abdicate actively participating in the now?
The answer: Fear. What are we afraid of you might ask. Well, pretty much everything that seems to take away our choices or power.
For example, we might fear commitment in relationships because it is a threat to us feeling free. Or, we could hesitate accepting a new job, even if the compensation is better, because we are afraid of not being able to control the new working environment.
News flash: The only thing we can control in this chaotic experience, we collectively call life, is our state of mind.
Too often though, we allow fear to muffle the volume of our inner voice. The fear of choosing incorrectly floods every ounce of our being so much that we rationalize giving away our power of choice. Let’s explore that notion a bit further.
What defines a choice as being “correct?” Isn’’t our evaluation of correctness based upon our own set of filters and interpretations? Any decision that elevates our peace of mind is preferable to one that causes us fear. Our judgment and our preferences for a specific result is the source of our conflict, not the choice made.
However, as I gently reminded you in the opening paragraph, ‘fear not,’ there is another way of navigating our choices. By infusing a few simple yet profound practices into our daily life, we can reignite our life to be fueled by infinite possibilities rather than be prone to feeling our hopes and dreams are constantly being extinguished by limiting beliefs and false perceptions. No matter what your specific story tells you is your past, it is possible to rewrite your life now as a heroine’s journey in the Present. And, as I like to say, ‘what’s possible for one of us is possible for all of us!’
Here are three steps that can gently amplify and reawaken your awareness of your Inner Voice:
Step 1: Let Go.
Our journey begins with letting go of preconceived judgments. For those of you reading who are certain I just deviated from English to another language, please allow me to explain.
To learn and practice listening to our inner voice, we need not care what anyone thinks about the outcome of any decision that we make. I do not mean to imply displaying a callous disregard, but rather a state of mental neutrality. Only our interpretations give rise to our judging something as “good” or “bad.”
Do you go left or right? Should you say “yes” or “no?” Think about it. In the grand scheme of things does the outcome of any specific decision you make really matter to anyone other than you? Facts are not positive or negative. They just exist as they are in the present moment.
Step 2: Be Present.
The other day I woke-up absolutely petrified for no seeming reason. My mind raced and I was hyper vigilant to any and every noise around me. I have no clue why I was so freaked out that specific morning. However, I bring this up to illustrate how choosing to be present can calm us even in a state of sheer panic.
Instead of denying the experience of my anxiety, I accepted it without judgment. I inventoried my body at that moment, noticing any areas of tension. I took gentle, slow breaths, and visualized sending the air I inhaled into each area of previously noted bodily discomfort.
Within a few minutes, my nerves calmed, and my mind began to quiet. I could have spent hours analyzing “why” I was upset and might have caused more anxiety in the process. Instead, I surrendered to the moment of what “was” and allowed myself the space to “be.”
Step 3: Trust.
In the experience I shared above, I trusted the calmness of my inner voice to quiet my worried mind. I could have called my mother, texted a friend, or even consulted the “Oracle” of all things Google®, but instead I turned to my inner voice.
If I had reached out to a source outside of myself, I would not have been “wrong,” but I might have missed an opportunity to enhance my self-comforting abilities. Asking for help should not be discounted in times of crisis, or an emergency. However, if our intention in seeking help is to detach ourselves from accountability for a decision, we should at least become aware of our true motivation in asking. It comes down to learning to trust our inner voice rather than trying to muffle it through the consensus of other’s opinions.
Tuning into your inner voice will become second nature once you’ve developed confidence to lead your life from this awareness. However, one decision remains: Choosing to listen. That morning in bed, flooded by idiopathic anxiety, I chose fear’s opposite. I chose to align with Love while trusting and, listening to, my truth.
The journey to find solace from the chaotic outside world within the space of inner thoughts is simple, but not easy. Applying the three steps above will facilitate creating room to hear and to practice the lessons presented by your inner voice and truth into all aspects of your life.
