“What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.”
~ Collette (1873-1954)
Affirmation: Loving myself heals my life. Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos
Our Outer-voice, the one you use every day with strangers and loved ones, is a reflection of your Inner-voice, also known as Inner-guidance. Do you trust your Inner-voice enough to pay attention to it or do you consider it a useless woo-woo, nagging nescience that interferes with logic?
If you answered yes to the woo-woo part of the question, you are not alone.
But, are you missing an important component of your whole being? Your Inner-voice is connected to your Spirit, the part of you that remembers everything because it is eternal. So, might you be missing out on a fantastic resource for surviving the difficult choices you face on a daily basis for life?
Three ways to connect to Inner-guidance is through dreams, prayers, and meditations. In the audio section of this multi-media article, you are given a very short protection meditation using visualization. I use it nightly and find that I sleep much better than when I forget to do it. It is very short but very powerful.
Use this meditation anytime you feel threatened or need to relax.
Please, do not listen to this meditation if you are driving a car or handling equipment. If you are driving and need a meditation break, pull over into a rest area.
Validation is the key to guidance by Inner-voice. Your intuition loves to be tested by you because it is an opportunity for self-worth and self-belief. Watch for signs, symbols and proof-positive events during the day to verify your innate guidance. It may have been heard as that quiet inner voice. You do not need to search for validation or make it fit a situation. There is no need to hammer a square peg into the round hole of life. Validation will find you and fit perfectly into your life. Validation is individual.
An A-ha moment usually follows the moment-of-truth with the physical response of goose bumps. The next time you wonder if what you are thinking or feeling is correct check your arms for the tell-tale goose-bumps of validation.
Now that you know how to test your Inner-guidance, how can you use it to create a fulfilled and meaningful life? What has been gnawing at you in terms of truth? Do you have questions about your job or a relationship you find challenging? Should you make a change in some aspect of your life? Perhaps you need a new car but are not sure which one to purchase.
Quiet your body and your mind will follow.
Next, ask your Higher-power your question. Voice your challenge. Then listen for that quiet Inner-voice followed by validation goose-bumps.
How often do we pray for guidance but never listen or watch for the answer that may come from within?
For some of us, stepping outside our comfort zone of traditional prayer may be frightening. But try it. You may like it.
So true Kat, listening to your inner guidance is the very best advice you can get. Who knows better than you? We all have the answers we are seeking within us; you are so right when you say people ask and pray for guidance and forget to find it within. More often than not they expect it to come from someone else.
Great article Kat. I have certainly experienced listening to my inner-voice and felt the goose bumps lately. When faced with big decisions I do ask many questions. It’s not always easy to quiet down and listen to sometimes a whispered answer. I find when I color, draw or paint the whispers are louder and the answers flow within me. “Validation is individual”…Love it! I also want to meditate more. Thank you!
Nathalie, aren’t those goosebumps amazing? It is like your inner voice is speaking to you with your own body language. Painting and any form of artwork is a wonderful way to get in touch with your inner voice. In my book Dreams That Can Save Your Life, Dr. Bernie Siegel talks about how he used artwork as a means of communicating with children who had trouble expressing themselves with words. Their artwork was their inner voice sharing life-saving information. Thanks again for your comment.
Yes they are! I get them a lot when I facilitate my painting workshops as well! That sounds amazing to be hearing the children voices through art. Love it!
Excellent article Kat! We could all stand to listen to our inner voices more. We all have unique gifts to share. Listening to our inner voices lets us explore and discover those gifts.
Raissa Urdiales, thank you for your comment. I agree with you that listening to our inner voices can help us explore and discover our gifts. Thanks again for your comment.
Thank you for this great article Kat! It’s packed with that inner voice wisdom. I often try to help my clients find this quiet part of themselves through mindfulness and meditation during our sessions. The abundance of love, wisdom, goodness that they/we find there never ceases to amaze me. And we have access to it anytime! Thanks for the reminder and meditation to help us reconnect with it.
Jennifer thank you for your comment and for sharing how you help others find their inner voice through meditation. Old habits, like listening to negativity and believing it is helping us, are difficult to break and replace with new loving habits.
So very true. Takes a ton of practice!
Thank you, Jennifer. And, it sounds like you are just the person to help others begin their new practice because of your understanding of the process. Sometimes we want to take a walk in the Forest of Life, the desire is there, but we cannot see the forest for the trees and need someone like you to lead the way.
Thank you Kathleen! That means a lot! It is evident that you also illuminate this part of our life journey in others.
Thank you, Jennifer!
The little voices in my head tend to laugh a lot about what is going on around me. I found when I started actively listening to all this internal chatter I’ve become better at seeing things more clearly. If they start talking about negative things, that’s when I disengage. I get enough negative chatter from real people.
Yes, Chris, my inner voices laugh too but I love how you disengage when they start feeding your body negativity. Thanks so much for the comment.
The mind in a calm and relaxed state is a powerful thing. When you allow your mind to receive amazing things happen. When my sister was going through the last stages of Alzheimer she had totally left us mentally. On Christmas day all the family gather round her and she came back. For that one day she knew who everyone was and she knew what was happening to her. I asked her how she came back. She said she reached down deep into her mind and willed herself to come back. She said she could only stay one day that Mom and Dad were waiting for her. What a powerful thing to be able to do. She was deeply into mediation and giving her life to a higher power. Thank you for this article it made me revisit a very special memory.
Larry Tyler, I only just now saw your comment and it brought tears to my eyes. How beautiful and amazing that your sister could mentally join the family for Christmas and share that your parents were waiting for her. It was truly a Family Christmas. Thank you so much for sharing these personal insights with us.
Sometimes amazing things Happen.
Larry Tyler, Yes, they do and I have already told 2 people your sister’s beautiful Christmas Story. Your open and sharing heart has already helped 2 others view and embrace Alzheimer from a different point of view. I wish you could have seen the smile on their faces. Thank you again my friend.
You are very very welcome and thank you for sharing with your friends
Dr. Melinda Fouts, thank you for your comment. Our Inner Voice and guidance through dreams is the subject of my book with Duke University Radiologist Dr. Larry Burk on Precognitive Dreams that came true and saved lives, due out in Jan of 2018. It is based on his research of 20 women whose dreams diagnosed their breast cancer which was later validated by pathology reports. As you can see, I am big into inner guidance, and I agree with you, learning to trust it is a wonderful journey. Thank you again for your kind words nd comment.
Good for you, Kat to present this information to the group. Strengthening the connection to one’s inner voice/guidance/intuition only improves with time as one allows that voice to grow. Trusting this voice is a wonderful journey.