A client once told me that she had gone out on a date with this successful and charismatic man. They were the perfect match: they were clearly attracted to each other, had careers with a bright future, and had an amazing time together. But for some reason, she just couldn’t feel very enthusiastic about their dates. Despite that, she chose to commit to a relationship.
Six months later, he cheated on her, humiliated her publicly, and left her with trust issues for years to come. My client told me just how disappointed in herself she was for failing to listen to her inner voice at that time.
Your inner voice can be your personal mentor and best friend. It’s a way to tap into your intuition. But teaching yourself to hear it and listen to it… can be a very hard thing to achieve. Let’s see how you can change that.
1. Overcome Addictions
To turn up the volume of your inner voice, you need to get rid of your addictions. You could be addicted to fast food, sugary drinks, alcohol or cigarettes.
But addictions are not necessarily limited to these four things. Addictions are all around you, lurking, waiting in the corner, and when you feel weak, they strike the hardest. Some people are addicted to getting their photos liked on Instagram. Others – to looking for approval of their actions from everyone else.
So how do you overcome your addictions?
One of the best ways to overcome an addiction is to stoically sit with it. There are actually lots of materials on stoicism, but I recommend you watch this quick TED talk with Tim Ferriss. He talks about overcoming your fears, but it’s all interlinked. Your fear of facing your feelings is the reason you “stuff” yourself with unnecessary things: TV shows, makeup, drama, etc.
I’ll explore addictions in more detail soon, so stay tuned.
2. Meditate Regularly
Meditation is one of the best ways to tune in to your inner wisdom. But if you don’t meditate often enough, you won’t be able to experience the full benefits of it. Meditation is something you need to make a habit out of. Here’s how:
Set aside 5-10 minutes every day to sit in silence and focus on your breath. Close your eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths. If your mind gets distracted, don’t worry, it’s normal. Just keep breathing. Let your thoughts come and go. They’re just… thoughts. They can’t hurt you.
If you feel like you need some guidance for your first meditations, check out these 3 guided meditations from my podcast.
3. Face Your Feelings
If a strong feeling comes up during your meditation, try to embrace it and experience it fully. If you feel like crying, then cry. If you suddenly feel angry, scream or hit a pillow. Don’t be afraid to express your feelings. They’re your best friends, your compass when you get lost. They show you what you’ve accumulated—and what you need to let go of.
The only way to get rid of a bad feeling is to stop resisting it. Click To Tweet
That’s it. Embrace it, experience it, and you will feel so much better after that, I promise.
4. Find Your Values
For one person, family could be the single most important thing in the world. For another, it could be their career and financial success. We’re all different and, to be able to tap into our inner wisdom, we must first understand what are the most important things in our lives.
Make a list of your 3 core values. What excites you and makes you get up in the morning? What makes you smile and feel joy in life? What is that one single thing you wouldn’t want to live without?
Remember:
You have all the answers. You just need to ask the right questions. Click To Tweet
If you’re not sure how to do it, maybe I can help out.
5. Make a Plan
The next step is to come up with a plan that helps you achieve what your heart truly desires. Achieving your goals is the most satisfying feeling in the whole world. But first: you need to set your long-term, mid-term and short-term goals.
It’s important to know that your short-term and mid-term goals may change. But if you’re sure about the final outcome, you will always find a different, more efficient approach towards it. Trust your instincts, be brave and bold. You have nothing to lose but so much to gain. Don’t just talk about doing it. Do it now.
Disclaimer: There will be times when you feel lost for a while. But that’s okay. It’s part of the whole human experience thing 🙂
You have all the tools in your pocket to rediscover yourself, don’t worry. Everything will come around as long as you have… yourself.
So what are you afraid of?
Love,
