How To Hear Your Inner Voice? [Thoughts on connecting to the Universal Wisdom within]

“I followed my intuition when I embarked on my journey and it took me everywhere I needed to be”. Tom van Schingen

The photo below “Somewhere on the road in Texas” was taken by a young adventurer, Tom van Schingen. Almost two years ago Tom replaced his life and career in Belgium with a Harley, to travel across the USA. So far he covered over 45 states and a part of Canada. Thank you Tom for the photo! Permission to use granted 10/22/14

We may consider some people as more intuitive than others, but the truth is: everyone has intuition. The difference may lay in our ability to recognize it. Our ability to cut through the irrelevant noise and to allow ourself to hear the inner voice.

Why is intuition important? If we don’t listen to and act in harmony with our inner wisdom, we are like dead leaves taken wherever the capricious wind of other peoples’ plans chooses to take us. Do we listen to others more than we listen to ourselves? Is there a better way of respecting yourself, than to listen to your self Listening to your intuition is a way of honoring yourself. It is a way of walking your path, living your life, it’s a way of realizing your dreams. I believe that our intuition helps us to be in the right place at the right time. It lead us to the right people, along a path that is best for us.

How do you become more intuitive? How do you connect with that inner guidance… wisdom… voice?

Short answer: 

Just listen.

Don’t evaluate, don’t reason with it.

Long answer (and the checklist, below):

Caroline Myss, PhD, the famous medical intuitive, says we don’t really need to do anything to become more intuitive. (except: to listen). For example, we don’t need to become a vegetarian or use any accessories.

This seems obvious. You would not value your intuitive skill much if it was dependent exclusively on your pendulum. You would be suspicious of your friend’s intuitive abilities if they said: “I don’t know… I don’t see anything, I forgot my tarot cards at home”. Neither the intuitive skills should be dependent on your diet: “I’m sorry – a psychic may tell you – I’m not getting a clear image of your future love life. I ate pork sausages last night…  they are probably blocking my connection with the Divine”

Caroline says that in developing intuition it is essential to develop our self esteem. “You have to have guts to hear the voice of your intuition”

Even though, she says, we don’t have to do anything special to be more intuitive, I feel the difference when I do certain things. And if you also want to “do” something, see if anything from this list may be worth trying, and later let me know in the comments: is intuition important for you? Do you listen to it daily or rarely? Do you have a story on how it changed or saved your life? 

How to have better intuition. Ideas.

1. Limit the use of technology.  

For example: When not in hurry, forget the GPS and allow your INNER COMPASS to turn on and guide you. It may take practice, like everything. You will notice that you are more attentive, seeing and remembering more along the road. You may feel a sensation in your body leading you in one direction. You may start noticing that one road ”feels” dangerous, and another road “feels” promising.

2. Limit the background noise. Music or tv don’t need to be on all the time. (If you can’t stand to be with your mind one on one, find ways to calm the mind chatter, find ways to heal the thoughts that bother you, practice mindfulness meditation, relaxation, listen to relaxing music, or maybe even try a therapy)

3. Sit and listen. Even if it’s not a formal meditation. Just sit. Doing nothing for a moment. Every day. Morning hours after you wake up, hold much of the potential for you to connect with your self. What can you do to wake up slower to daily life?  See if you can have some time alone. (Our individual need to be alone vary. Some people need 8 hours of alone time, to stay sane,  others don’t mind having a company all day long)

4. Pay attention to your body sensations. Your body talks to you.

When you are about to do something, or say something in an important conversation,  approach someone,  send resume to a company, watch what are the sensations you are getting. Most likely they will come from the area of the solar plexus, or your chest. You may feel something in your throat or your shoulders may tense, or you may suddenly get a headache.  Connect the sensations with what you are doing or thinking in that moment and draw conclusion about their guidance. Watch if this is a feeling of lightness and expansion or feeling of heaviness and constriction. Pay attention when you meet someone new, there is this moment of decision to trust or not to trust. It happens almost subconsciously. Sometimes with no apparent reason you will feel that opening up to that person will be a bad idea.

5. Spend some time in nature. Barefoot (if nature allows).

If you spend more time in nature without distractions… listening, you may become more sensitive to the whispers of the trees and the stars. With time the connection to everything will be stronger and stronger. When you connect with nature you connect more with your Self.  (hmmm… was this one too woo woo or is it just me? Well, it is life at its best!)

6. In the morning: write down your dreams. Some people have their intuition communicate with them in their sleep state. If it is you, you probably already know about it.

7. In the morning: write down your thoughts /  the stream of consciousness. If writing appeals to you, this creativity exercise recommended by Julia Cameron will make a difference. When I did it regularly, just to improve my creativity, I noticed I’m finding important things and ideas, I didn’t know existed in my mind.

8. Work on improving your self esteem. “Without this it will be difficult to trust ourselves and follow the inner voice confidently.” Caroline Myss. Self esteem is about learning to trust yourself, to believe in yourself. It’s about recognizing the quality of information coming from the outside, and from the inside,  realizing when you need to learn from others and when your knowledge is all you need in a given situation.

9. Act on it. Little by little follow the guidance and see where it leads you. Especially listen to the voice that you have been hearing for months, or years. And when you follow it, notice, how everything unfolds? Of course you will never know what would happen if you have chosen the other road.

As Danielle LaPorte says: