Making wise choices is a big key to living a healthy, happy life. In these uncertain times, all of us are faced with a myriad of choices, ranging from considering potential major shifts in our lives to daily responses to changing circumstances. I’ve found that the best way to make these choices is through inner guidance. Left-brain, rational analysis often comes up short when key variables are uncertain.
When I was first introduced to the concept of inner guidance I didn’t have any particular gift or aptitude for accessing my heart’s wisdom and I struggled with it for quite a while. Finally, through lots of practice and trial and error, I developed a guidance method that worked for me. I’ve used it regularly ever since and it has served me quite well.
THE POWER OF CLEAR GUIDANCE
I have strong confidence that whenever I am conflicted or confused about a choice, I can access clear guidance. Making decisions by guidance gives me lots of peace of mind. Whatever consequences come from my choice, I don’t second guess myself. Even if things didn’t go as I hoped they might (for example, losing money on an investment), I just figure that this is the experience I was meant to have for my learning and growth.
Once you get the hang of it, the guidance method described below can be done very quickly. Often, I do it in 15-30 seconds when dealing with day-to-day choices. Of course, when you’re faced with a major life decision you’ll want to take more time. In these cases, take a few hours or even a retreat weekend to relax deeply and get yourself in a crystal clear space, before doing a more leisurely guidance process.
I believe that all of us have the ability to tap into a place of deep knowing. Accessing clear inner guidance is a skill that can be developed through practice. There are many effective ways to access inner guidance. If the method I describe below doesn’t work for you, keep exploring until you find one that does.
AN EFFECTIVE GUIDANCE PROCESS
An essential first step in accessing your inner guidance is to get to let go of any attachments, opinions, or strong preferences that might block you from receiving clear guidance. A simple way to do this is to focus on your breath, having a sense of letting go of attachments as you breathe out and receiving openness as you breathe in.
After you’ve gotten to a place of nonattachment concerning the choice at hand, the next step is to establish a reference point of how crystal clear guidance feels in your body. One easy way to do this is to remember a time when you made a choice and experienced total clarity. Then, feel the sense of yes that memory evokes in your body as deeply as possible. Also, notice any sounds/voices or images that you go with that feeling.
Next, pick one of the options in the current choice and imagine yourself selecting this option. Tell yourself that you’re choosing this option. As you do this, pay attention to what happens in the body. Is the feeling of yes still present? If you feel confused or mixed feelings, go deeper. Go into your heart, as well as your belly and feel the energy moving you toward this choice. Does it feel expansive/natural/light (the energy of Spirit) or contracted/efforting/resisting (the energy of ego)? Trust what you feel and don’t get into analysis or questioning.
After you’ve deeply experienced the energy of the first option, go back to the reference of that other time when you got to a place of 100% clarity. Deeply feel the yes in your body again.
Next, move to the second option and explore it the same way you did the first option. If there are multiple options, continue this process, alternating between the reference point and various options, until you are complete.
SELF-KNOWLEDGE THROUGH GUIDANCE
If you practice this guidance process and make it your own, you will receive great benefits. First, you’ll make wise choices and your life will flow more smoothly.
Secondly, you’ll have more peace of mind since you won’t be second-guessing your choices.
Perhaps most importantly, you will get to know yourself better.
The essence of this guidance process is learning to discern between the different voices and impulses inside of you. By practicing this method, you will become more and more able to recognize which to trust and which impulses are best not to follow. You’ll see that the energy of ego, no matter how cleverly it disguises itself, is based on fear and contraction. Whereas the energy of Spirit/Self/God is loving and expansive
The more you develop your ability to distinguish between the voices within you and consistently choose to follow your higher impulses, the more you’ll become free from your old conditioning and fears. You’ll find greater peace and happiness in yourself.