Listening to the Voice Within

by Tonya | Mar 26, 2020 | Life Lessons

Listen to the voice within. It’s your voice. And it’s trying to tell you something. Something important. Something that’s meant solely for you.

Listen to the voice within. Gosh! I wish I could say this age-old imperative in a more novel way. I’ll work to figure out how to say it so that it grabs your attention, so that it feels fresh because I don’t want you to miss it or dismiss it because you’ve heard it so many times before. But for now, it’s all I got. Listen to the voice within. It’s your voice. And it’s trying to tell you something. Something important. Something that’s meant solely for you. The voice within is the knower, the wise one, your intuition, your spirit, your self, the real you. The voice inside has no other agenda, but ensuring you have the best life possible. The voice inside knows the answers to your questions before you inquire. The voice within is your protector, your guide, your confidante, your lover and your friend.

It is amazing that we have a voice inside us that knows the way, our unique way of traveling the path of existence, and yet we either don’t know the voice exists, we don’t recognize its sound, or something even more troubling, we don’t trust what it tells us. We will trust the voices of others – our parents, teachers, coaches, friends, partners – but not the one who is inextricably conjoined with us, who actually is us. And because the voice within is not loud or boisterous, it is drowned out by these other voices. I’m not saying the other voices are bad or wrong, I’m just saying they provide us a guesstimate of whatever it is we are seeking. The voice within is not guessing. It knows. Should you marry your boyfriend/girlfriend? The voice knows. Is it time to make a career move? The voice knows. Is it time to go back to school? It knows. Can you trust your coworker? The voice knows. Do you look good in red? The voice knows. Of course, I’m adding a little levity here. But, I’m also dead serious. There is nothing about your life that’s too small or too big or that catches the voice off guard. Literally, the voice within is your knowledge center. So, why is it that you don’t heed this incredible resource? Again, there are at least these three reasons:

You are not aware the voice exists. I think this is the easiest to deal with because I believe most people know there is a voice within. Do you talk to yourself? Yes, of course you do. We all do. Why? Because we have an inside voice. We have a voice that asks us questions (Why did you go left instead of right?), that challenges us (Don’t be afraid; you can do it), and that ruminates over our thoughts and actions (Next time, speak up in the meeting). We talk to this entity. It listens to us. We just don’t always listen to it. Some may not acknowledge that there is a voice within because they walk away from anything that is perceptibly spiritual or religious. To that person, to be human is to have evolved not from an Intelligent Source, but from a combustion of particles in the atmosphere. To them, we are a product of science, not of Spirit. Can’t we be both? That’s a harder hurdle to jump over because I’d literally be asking people to rethink how they got here in the first place. But even those people hear a voice in their heads or hearts – even if we differ in belief about what it is and where it comes from. Bottom line, the voice inside is a thing. It exists. It’s your voice.
You don’t recognize the sound of the voice within. This is also somewhat easy. You don’t recognize the sound of your own voice because you’re busy listening to the voices without, meaning those outside voices that you’ve come to rely on so heavily to tell you who you are and what you “should” be doing with your life. It’s also probable that the voice within has a different message than those outside voices. It sounds different. The voice within knows you intimately. When you reach the point in your life when you start asking, “Who am I,” the voice is ready to answer. It’s ready to remind you because it’s known all along even as you’ve continued to grow and evolve. It’s kept up, waiting and knowing you would ask the question. You also don’t recognize the sound because it’s a quiet voice. It doesn’t scream – well, maybe sometimes it does. When you continue to have a hardhead and a soft behind, the voice realizes it has to intervene in a different way. But mostly, it’s quiet. The voice sometimes will get your attention through others, through things you read, like poetry, through art, or through experiences, your life lessons or Aha! Moments. Even then, the insight and discernment are confirmed from within. It’s never an “I told you so.” It’s the teacher, the friend, the guide, the one who is right there to help you stand up again and get back on the way to living your best life.
You don’t trust the voice within. This is the hardest. You know the voice exists, you know when it’s speaking and you know its sound, but you don’t trust it. You seek answers to your questions from everyone else, but yourself. Or, perhaps you prefer to trust the ego over the inside voice (the voice of your intuition or spirit) because it’s louder and used more often. In How to Recognize the Difference Between Logic, Intuition, Spiritual Guide, and Ego on www.Learning-Mind.com, author, Andreea V. says, “Ego could be the ‘dark’ part of our heart or mind that ‘lives’ with society’s approval or attention. If our heart/intuition guides us towards a positive self-development, the ego is more driven by superficial aspects of a situation.” The message from the ego is from the head and is mostly concerned with living for others. The voice within that emanates from the deepest and truest part of who you are (logic, intuition, and spiritual guide) is concerned with helping you live your best life, engaging head and heart.

In the end, you not trusting the voice within (sans ego) means you don’t trust yourself. The one who knows you best, who has no other agenda but your highest good, is the one you abandon during times of unrest, uncertainty, and fear. I encourage you to return to self, to the voice who is your consciousness. The more you listen, the clearer the voice will become. And what if you miss it a few times, so what? That’s understandable, especially at first. I’m sure you will miss it more times listening to others as well. I’m not saying don’t not seek advice from others, to take in wise counsel. I encourage you to do that. But after receiving input from others, pause and reflect, ask yourself: What is my answer? I know you will find it by listening to the voice within.

Here are three steps you can take immediately to begin listening to and trusting your own voice:

Spend time alone in quiet reflection. When we are always moving and reacting to outside stimuli with no time or space to listen to what is being whispered to us, we will have a difficult time hearing the voice within.
Start small and grow. Pick a small, inconsequential decision and ask the knower to give you the answer. You could ask about a certain route to take traveling to work. Follow the direction of the voice within. Repeat this practice often until you begin to discern when the voice is speaking to you. Notice how you feel when you hear the voice within. Inquire with progressively more consequential decisions and commit to listening and following the voice within.
Acknowledge and celebrate. Every time you follow the voice within and especially, when you notice the insight and good judgment, acknowledge and thank the voice. This will strengthen your faith and trust in the voice within. The voice within is you, your spirit guide, your intuition. You are learning to trust in yourself.

If you are looking for a group of people to explore these ideas and so much more, consider joining The Aha! Community Facebook group!