image source - The Guardian
Listen to myself? I do record my own voice and listen to it, I hate the sound of it.
No, that's not what we are talking about. We are here to talk about your inner voice, your gut feeling, your intuition, or rather the voice of your soul. Your inner voice might be loud and clear or just a whisper. Let's start with a hypothetical conversation that happens in our heads.
You: 'I want to learn ____, I want to be _____, I want to get ____, '(something you have always desired to)
Also, you: 'You are too old for this.'
'What will society think?'
'You are not capable of doing it.'
There are so many voices swirling in your head — your mind, fears, self-doubts, external opinions, and then there is your inner voice. And, somehow, without even realizing it, you start teaching yourself to ignore your inner voice.
According to Jennifer Racioppi, "Inner voice is the voice of truth — our unique voice of truth that comes from within. Simply put, our inner voice is our innate intelligence."
When we listen to what our soul and body have to say, we bring out the best versions of ourselves even before we listen to external opinions. There's nothing more powerful than listening, trusting, and following your intuition.
Listening to the inner-self has made individuals feel like themselves, ace exams, find dream jobs, hit the gym, get a better sleep schedule, and accomplish things they have always dreamt of. In addition, it will help you to surpass your own emotions and develop a more objective perspective on the situation. Here are a few steps that will help you to listen to your inner voice:
Practice Active Listening:- Listening to others without any judgment and understanding their perspectives will help you listen to yourself.
Journaling:- Journals have proven to be inanimate objects with the best ears. After writing three pages later, you start realizing that you have begun to tap your inner voice.
Physical Exercise:- To access your highest self, you first have to fulfil your basic needs. A balanced diet, median exercises like walking, swimming, and dancing will help you have a balanced emotional state required to bring out the voice. As they say, a sound body is a sound mind.
Meditate:- If you quiet the mind, the soul will speak. Meditate in nature for even better results. Cut social media for a while — your phone, T.V., laptops are your biggest barricades.
But, how do you know if your gut feeling is what you have to follow? Many CEOs commonly follow a technique to eat your decisions — sit down and imagine you ate your decisions and then analyse how you feel — energized or sick in your stomach?
It takes time to listen, grow, and nurture your inner voice. Giving yourself the space and gradually beginning to listen to it will help you make better and faster life decisions, solve problems with greater ease, and live a life of greater happiness, success, and fulfilment.