Inner Voice: How to Trust It And Listen To It

“Practice listening to your intuition, your inner voice; ask questions; be curious; see what you see; hear what you hear; and then act upon what you know to be true. These intuitive powers were given to your soul at birth.” Clarissa Pinkola Estes 

It was Monday, August 15th, 2022, at 10:35 am. I was sitting on my bed, trying to use all my energy to get up, put on my workout clothes and do yoga. Frankly, anything that would take me out of my depression would work.

There I was again, giving myself the pep talk that never quite worked. “Come on, Silvia. You can do this. Today is another day. Do 30 minutes of yoga, then write that article and meal prep for the week as planned.”

To give myself some credit, I made it into my workout clothes and grabbed my protein shake from the fridge. While drinking it, I started crying. I sat at my desk, knowing I was about to give up on my plans for the day while staring at the wall like I could find something there.

Ironically, I did. Out of nowhere, I had a thought.

I must go to India, and so I did.

It was the first time I decide to trust ME

Since then, a lot has changed. My life took on a very different form, and I learned more than I could ever ask for. However, the biggest lesson this experience gave me was this: no matter what, you must learn how to listen to your inner voice.

If you are anything like I was, you may be walking around, trying to find the answer to the direction of your life in others’ minds.

However, this begs the question: What makes you believe that someone else knows what is your purpose or next best step more than you do?

It’s not that you don’t know. The problem is that you overestimate others’ opinions while underestimating the most powerful force there is – your inner voice. 

What prevents us from hearing our inner voice?

One of the most common reasons we can’t hear our inner voice is that we are not in touch with who we are or what we want. Since we are too busy with everything from work to family to the gym to social gatherings (the list goes on and on), how can we ever hear ourselves?

The noise around us simply becomes too much. Only when we consciously and willingly shut it off and turn inwards, will we discover the power and intelligence that has all the answers we need.

This leads me to…

Shut down the noise and boundary up

When I presented the idea of my Indian trip to my friends, many came up with reasons why it may not work out and why I should reconsider it. A few people supported it, some were trying to send me to West Palm Beach in Florida, and the rest seemed worried.

Although I understood their concerns, I decided to pay them minimal attention. What my heart and intuition were telling me was louder than any opinion or advice.

Here is the thing, my friend: no one knows your heart and the level of potential you can reach. Therefore, it’s important to become selective about what voice you choose to listen to.

There is a video with Morgan Freeman where he talks about the inner voice. He says that we all have one, but few listen to it. For me, he nailed it.

You must honor your inner voice and trust your innate wisdom that it is good enough and intelligent enough to give you the answers you are looking for because it does.

Exercise: How to listen to your inner voice

Let me share a simple exercise you can practice a few times a week to learn how to tune in and simply listen.

Find a comfortable seat somewhere in your house or apartment. It should be a spot where you are meditating. However, if you don’t have such a spot, create it.

You can light up a candle and also play very light meditation music. However, if you feel music is an interruption, I suggest turning it off.

Find a comfortable position, close your eyes, and take 5 to 10 deep breaths to get centered and still.

You can either sit in silence and see what comes up, or you can set an intention for yourself and focus on something more specific you want to explore and unpack.

As ideas, thoughts, or feelings come up, observe them and pay attention to them. If you are triggered by some thoughts, ask why. If you are excited about a vision or an idea, explore it and go deeper.

Learning how to listen to your inner voice while honoring intelligence within is a process that may take some time and patience. However, it is by far, one of the best practices that can bring you clarity and therefore develop more self-trust and inner confidence.

Start with 10 minutes per silence session. As you practice more, I suggest increasing the time. After you finish, write down the insights you find most important. For example, if some old memory comes up, identify what it means.

Do you need to process some emotions in that area?

If you have insights about your future or goals, pay close attention to them and observe the emotional charge that comes with them.

Many triggers, images, or emotions indicate what your mind and heart try to tell you. Learn to listen to them.