What is spiritual guidance? How can we find our own source of inner wisdom? How do we know when our intuitions are true?
Each one of us was born with an innate inner wisdom that guides our lives and serves as an inner measure of personal truth. Inner wisdom is that part of us which is beyond our rational, logical and analytical mind. It’s that inner sense of knowing what is right for us, even though there is no advance proof that we’re making the right decision. Inner wisdom is a feeling of peace even within a difficult situation. It’s the clarity we need to help us move through stress or unanticipated challenges.
Why Do We Feel Disconnected from Our Inner Wisdom?
If inner wisdom is so powerful, why is it often so elusive or difficult to trust? One reason we don’t trust our inner wisdom is because it directs us to make choices that are aligned with independence and autonomy. It is our inner voice leading us down the path of personal meaning and fulfillment, while at the same time leading us away from the most popular, comfortable or safest path. Our inner wisdom guides us away from conformity and control and moves us toward new experiences and choices.
Inner wisdom is often elusive as a result of years of neglect. Having shut down parts of ourselves, we often place everyone else’s needs and desires above our own, or habitually place personal priorities and dreams at the bottom of our to-do list. With all this busy activity, we may rarely take time to be still, breathe, and tune into our own dreams and inner guidance.
In addition we have lost faith in our own ability to trust our hearts and bodies. With this loss of faith, we readily turn to outside sources of information above our own inner sense of guidance. For instance, we trust experts telling us what, when and how much to eat, how to take care of our bodies, and even what to think and say. We dismiss our own inner wisdom for the perceived comfort or ease of letting others be responsible for our choices and actions.
Reconnecting
Although others may have great ideas and suggestions, when it comes to knowing what is best for us, only we know the answers. It is by learning to listen to our inner wisdom that we take back the true direction of our lives. Each of us has the ability and wisdom to make our own decisions, whether or not those decisions fit in with popular positions.
How do we get back in touch with our inner wisdom? Inner wisdom thrives in an atmosphere of self-love, patience, and acceptance. To listen, we give ourselves permission to hear our inner wisdom and permission to connect with our personal power. In addition, we quiet the mind and gracefully allow our inner wisdom to present itself in an unrushed and unforced naturally flowing manner.
Often we connect with our inner wisdom in a variety of ways, without even knowing that we do so. For example, inner wisdom shows up in dreams, daydreams, or ideas that come from outside of the logical mind. Inner wisdom can be a meaningful coincidence or synchronicity. Have you ever picked up a book, opened it at random and read a sentence that has a powerful effect on you? Or perhaps turned on the television, flipped through the channels, and then suddenly stopped on a show that seemed to speak directly to you? These are all open avenues of communication from your own inner wisdom to your conscious mind.
Listening to your inner wisdom is a habit that takes time and patience. To build trust with your inner wisdom, relax and be gentle with yourself. Make time to breathe, set your anxiety, worry, or stress aside, and ask, “What will make me happy?” or, “What is my next best step?” When you hear your answer—which may or may not appear in that exact moment—acknowledge your wisdom and take action. Remember, no one knows better than you what is best for you.
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Thank you Annette for a great post. I have been practicing listening to my inner wisdom. At first I couldn’t hear it all and then it was a whisper that I only remembered after I didn’t listen, then a whisper I heeded and now I am working up to automatically listening. What a journey! At least I have had lots of opportunities to practice.