You know that little voice inside? The one that seems to come from your guts when something just doesn’t sit right? The one that is so easy to ignore? How many times have you kicked yourself for not having listened to it? How many times have you discovered, much to your chagrin, that it had been right? Probably loads, if you’re like most people.
And how many times have you discovered that it was wrong? I would suggest that if you’re completely honest with yourself, the answer is “never”.
That little voice is your Higher Self. Calling itself “intuition”, it is your Spirit connecting with you, speaking to you with the purest wisdom. Learning to trust it and to listen to it are two of our most difficult lessons.
Sometimes we ignore it because although we know it’s right, we want to please someone or we’re afraid to stand up to someone. Sometimes we find ourselves wanting to do something but that little voice says it’s wrong, it’s bad for us or it’s self-destructive or self-sabotaging. But we want to do it anyway (whatever “it” is) because it’s fun or sinful or delicious or exciting or whatever, it doesn’t matter, we just want it, so we refuse to heed the wisdom of those quiet little words.
At some point, we will end up acknowledging – if only to ourselves – that we should have listened. At some point, we recognise that there were consequences for ignoring that little voice. Maybe minor ones that aren’t such a big deal in the grand scheme of things, or maybe massive ones that have had a profoundly negative, life-altering impact. And despite all of that, sometimes we will go on as before, still not heeding the wisdom of that quiet little voice.
Unless you’re blessed with magical powers to avoid human flaws, I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.
As human beings, with consciousness and intelligence, we think we know best. We think we have the greatest wisdom. We are capable of great accomplishments and achievements. We invent and create. We build whole cities. We put men on the moon. But in our arrogance, as human beings we don’t realise that consciousness and intelligence only give the illusion of incredible greatness and wisdom.
It is said that we are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Your purpose is to connect with your Spirit so you can learn from it. In doing so, you will see who you could become if you maintained that connection. To live in a state of constant communication with your Spirit, or your Higher Self, is to be truly enlightened and living a purely authentic life.
All that building and creating that we do in our humanness can serve many purposes, one of which is to enable us to survive. But the greatest building and creating come from the omnipotent wisdom of the Spirit. Human existence would be cold, empty and meaningless without the forgiveness, the compassion, the warmth and the love that come from connecting with the Divine Spirit that lies within each of us.
This is the challenge for us. Every day, we’re bombarded by the struggles of Life that test us, giving us opportunities to grow, to learn, and to become more connected with our Higher Selves. We are confronted with anger and indignation, frustration and jealousy, grief and loneliness. We are challenged in our relationships with others, and with ourselves. Everywhere we look, our humanness stares us in the face, tempting us to resist change, take the easy way out and simply slide into those familiar but painful responses and patterns.
The challenge for us is to look past our humanness, connect with our Spirits, find the lessons they want to teach us, and learn them. If you listen for it, you’ll hear that little voice. And the more you communicate with your Spirit, the easier it becomes. Just as you know the result of ignoring it, I’m sure you also know the joy and the strength that come from listening to it and taking its advice. No doubt that on many occasions on which it’s done battle with your humanness, it will have won. You’ve done the right thing. The pure thing. The good thing. The thing that allows you to grow, to become empowered, and to be more connected with your Spirit, your Higher Self.
It’s okay if you falter on this journey now and then. It’s okay if you take one step forward and two steps backward sometimes. That’s the human experience of a spiritual being. The challenge is to continue taking steps forward, doing your best to learn from the places that trip you up.
It begins with listening to that little voice inside. It is the source of the greatest strength, the greatest intelligence, and the greatest wisdom in the Universe. It always knows the truth, even when you don’t want to know it. It will always guide you in the direction of the highest good. It will always lead you closer to spiritual perfection and Enlightenment.
It is through walking on this path that we will become more at peace with ourselves and with each other. It may not always be easy. But it will be very well worth it.