How to Begin Hearing Your Inner Voice
Voice From The Inner Horizon, a painting by Pat Erickson
It's likely you've already heard your inner voice speaking to you whether you were aware of it or not. Maybe you've experienced a gut feeling that led you to make a last minute decision. Or perhaps you sensed a mother’s (or father’s) intuition that your child was going to be in danger.
There are many different ways that our inner voice speaks to us but its intention is all the same; to guide you towards being the most content and complete version of yourself.
Your inner voice is a direct communication line to the Universe. It is guidance coming from your Highest Self or Spirit that existed before you came into this life and will exist after you depart. Your inner voice transcends your day-to-day experiences and is omnipresent.
If you are unsure how to tap in to your inner voice, there are three distinct characteristics that will indicate it's source: a clear and concise message, an immediate response, and a message that is based in love.
"Inner Voice" painting by Rupal Buch
Clear and concise.
Your inner voice is clear and concise and will speak to you in a direct manner. It speaks to you to provide guidance, advice and insight to encourage you to become your best self. Your inner voice will communicate to you in few words and will deliver a powerful message, such as “you are not happy” or “this relationship is not right for you.”
It will not communicate to you in the form of convoluted information or riddles that you must dissect or that have the potential to be misinterpreted. It will speak louder and louder if you are not listening and are acting in a way that contradicts who the Universe intends for you to be.
Immediate response.
Messages from your inner voice are delivered almost immediately following a related situation. There is no lag time because there is no uncertainty in the information and therefore no cause to question the message.
Your inner voice is full of wisdom and speaks directly to you similar to a lifelong friend who knows you very well and does need to sugar-coat the information that you do not want to hear. An example of the quick response is someone who is looking to purchase a new home and hears "this is the one," when visiting an open house.
Loving content.
Your Spirit that communicates to you through your inner voice which knows only love. It wants to see you in your happiest and most joyful state. An example of a loving message that could be received would be hearing “you deserve more,” after being let down by someone you trust.
Your Spirit wants you to fulfill your potential and accomplish everything that you came in this lifetime to do. We each have a divine purpose and if you are stuck and distracted by self-limiting behaviors, your inner voice will lovingly speak to you in attempt to guide you back to who you were truly, divinely meant to be.
If you receive guidance that is fearful, angry, resentful, full of doubt, or any other negative emotion, it is not coming from your inner voice. There are many names for the source of this negative thought including the ego, the analyzer, and the monkey mind; each essentially are describing your human mind whose purpose is to remind you of survival tactics such as eating when you’re hungry and running from danger.
However for most of us the human mind is working on overdrive and causing us to second guess and overanalyze everything. It is important to differentiate between the survival and over analytical information that comes from your human mind and the loving guidance spoken from your inner voice.
These three simple virtues of clarity, an immediate response and a message based in love will help you to identify your inner voice the next time you hear it. It is easiest to hear your inner voice during moments of silence such as during meditation, yoga or doing an activity that makes you feel peaceful.
It may be an audible voice that you hear from within your own mind, it may be a gut feeling that you feel deep within the abdomen or it may be a hunch or an inner knowing. Whatever medium is used to deliver the message, your inner voice is your ally and can always be trusted to provide you with the guidance needed to fulfill your highest potential.
You can receive the information when it’s given to you or you can ask for advice. Go ahead and ask your inner voice to speak to you today. After reading this article, simply ask your inner voice, “What information are you trying to communicate to me?” Then, quiet your mind so that you may receive your answer.
Tracey Dawn believes everyone is capable of tuning into their Higher Self and accessing the innate happiness that accompanies it. She has a degree in Psychology and over 100 hours of meditation and energy work training. She provides online courses and meditations to inspire others to become the source of their own happiness. Visit her website at www.TraceyDawn.com for a free guide book and mini meditation to help you prioritize a quick meditation into your busy day.