It usually doesn’t happen like it does in the movies. Seas do not part; lightning rarely strikes, and the gates of the heavens do not fly open. And still, every single day, your inner guidance is speaking to you and through you. To receive it, you just have to acquaint yourself with the language it speaks.
Interpreting Your Inner Wisdom
Each of us receives inner guidance in many different ways: You might get a sudden idea or an impulse to do something. Or receive a thought that seems to come out of the blue. Overhearing a conversation about a subject you’ve been interested in can be a kind of guidance. Your higher self may even use a sign on the road or a song on the radio as a way to convey a message. The question is, in any given moment, are you receptive to these messages or are you blocked off from them?
Here are 3 powerful, consecutive, momentum-building steps for recognizing your inner wisdom when it speaks to you and through you:
Step #1: Have faith that your inner wisdom exists.
It’s hard to have faith in something your senses can’t perceive, but this is exactly what inner guidance is! You are not limited by what you can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. Like every human being, you are a part of a boundless, infinite, intelligent universe – abundant in time and space. You’re always being guided by this higher perspective. But when you are focused on what has, is, or could possibly go wrong, you block this receptivity.
Faith is an act of looking for evidence that things are always working out for you. It’s allowing yourself to believe in your own worthiness, and in the benevolence of the universe as a whole.
It’s making a conscious decision to be on your own side, and to lean in the direction of what you want.
Finding Faith
To begin building your faith muscle, simply ask yourself, “What do I want, and why do I want it?” How do you want to feel once you’ve created it? Then trust that the universe wants you to have everything you desire. This provides the foundation for your faith to grow.
Step #2: Acknowledge all signs from your inner wisdom – even those that come in hindsight.
Sometimes we don’t recognize the voice of our inner wisdom until after we realize we’ve ignored it! That’s completely okay and is part of the faith-building process.
Whether it’s a positive pull toward something or an impulse to run in the other direction, guidance is still guidance.
Acknowledging the times that you didn’t trust your own guidance will make it easier to recognize it in the future. The next time you hear yourself saying things such as, “I saw that one coming,” or, “I knew I should have said no,” celebrate!
By acknowledging the wisdom that comes to you in hindsight, you strengthen your ability to recognize it in the moment.
Step #3: Don’t try; Allow.
You can’t develop faith in your inner wisdom by working hard to achieve it. This muscle is not built from effort or by pushing through resistance. In fact, the harder we try to hear it, the more it eludes us – because your higher self is subtle.
When you’re faced with a choice and aren’t sure which way to turn, don’t overthink it. Instead, take a break. Do something to put your logical mind on pause. Inner wisdom often comes through when we’re engaged in something mindless.
Guidance that comes forth from your higher self is distinct from logic or book smarts. It is divine wisdom that comes from a higher place than our conscious minds can reach. It often occurs as a whisper, or as the faintest impulse.
When we try too hard to figure out the “perfect” move, or give too much attention to outside sources, we block our receptivity.
Listening for your higher self is about allowing it, acknowledging it, and acquiring faith in your ability to receive it. Practice each of these skills and you’ll not only hear your inner guidance; your connection to it will become steadfast.
Christy Whitman is an energy healer, celebrity coach, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Having It All: A Woman’s Guide to Unlimited Abundance. To understand how to more deliberately co-create the life you desire, visit www.watchyourwords.com and gain access to a free 30-day training.
