When is your inner voice the strongest, and when are you an active listener to this voice?

My inner voice is the strongest and clearest when I first wake up. I give myself 10-to-15 minutes, after my morning alarm, to lie in stillness and breathe deeply. My inner voice whispers quietly to me and reminds me that today is what I make it to be. I sometimes take a moment to jot down the messages, from my inner voice, in my journal so I will not become distracted and forget what I actually need to be doing.

At times, my active mind is at odds with my inner voice. The inner voice whispers, “Only do what needs to be done today.” My active mind loudly protests, “Everything needs to be done today!”

My inner voice whispers back, “Give three examples of why that’s absolutely true.” My active mind, in a milder response, sighs and responds, “Ok, let me reevaluate the needs vs. the shoulds.”

I view the inner voice as the internal GPS of my body. It guides me and helps me stay on my right path. The right path varies from time to time, but the inner voice is always whispering the correct coordinates to me.

It took me a long time to yield and listen to the clarity of my inner voice. I didn’t always trust it and I thought it was telling me to go in a direction that was not beneficial. I could not have been more wrong. What I thought I wanted was not what I needed. My inner voice had been clear about this and had whispered to me through my body having an unpleasant reaction or my mind constantly second guessing the path I was choosing.

As I have matured and become a better listener to my inner voice, I find that making the best decisions for me is no longer an arduous process. I check-in with my inner voice. I listen to my body’s reaction. I notice any nagging thoughts that may be coming up, and I sit in stillness so I’m not unnecessarily turning my wheels.

Here are 5 easy steps to follow, to become reacquainted with your inner voice:

1. Give yourself 10-to-15 minutes, when you first wake up, to sit quietly.

2. Designate a notebook or journal so you can capture the messages your inner voice is communicating to you.

3. As you go through the day, if you are feeling any discomfort in your body (tension, jumpy stomach, tight shoulders, etc.) go back to your notebook/journal and to check to see if you are following the route your inner voice mapped out for you.

4. If you find you’ve gone off track, take 5-to-10 minutes and ask yourself (a) why am I resisting the wisdom of my inner voice, (b) what am I gaining by resisting the message from my internal GPS, and (c) what one thing can I do right now to get back on track?

5. Be kind and gently with yourself and start fresh the next day.

If these 5 steps are challenging for you, setting up some sessions with a life coach can help you reset your internal GPS and reacquaint you with your inner voice.

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