Note #028
Listen on the Inside
Whose voice inside you is the loudest?
A little disclaimer before we begin….
I often write using “you”. Please don’t take offense at this.
No, I probably do not know you — at least not your inner, intimate story. We are not meeting face-to-face over a decadent cup of Mariage Freres tea where “you” is very natural and obvious. Out of necessity, and desire, I choose “you”.
“One” is so artificial and removed. So distant and non-real. So impersonal. So fictional.
Writing a sentence with “One might choose to see things …” is not how I write. I sit down and before typing, I imagine my reader, you. Not what you look like or sound like. Not your job, nor your family situation.
But as a human being, somewhere, out there, with feelings and worries and anxieties and happinesses and hopes and dreams, with heart and soul. I see us all in this soup of life, sometimes joyful, sometimes drowning. I see you swimming along side me, maybe flailing — I do flail a lot, although I don’t particularly enjoy it — right there with me.
Yes, we are in this together. No, our situations are nothing alike. Maybe we can find common ground and friendship. Probably we can.
I do love the saying, the reminder really, that “Given the chance, most people will do their best.”
I believe that.
So I choose to address you as “you”, hopefully as a fellow traveler if not a friend in this journey through life.
Listening on the inside
can be a really good idea. A useful practice. Beneficial. Life changing.
But to whom are you listening? Whose voice is the loudest, the most insistent, in there.
And from where are you listening? The mind can twist everything little thing it hears to fit its sneaky little agenda of keeping you trapped in a cage without a door.
For my own happiness of soul, which flops over into peace of mind, I’ve come to know that when I really Listen on the Inside, it is the voice of my Inner Wisdom who speak directly to my heart.
It is my intuition, uncorrupted by outside influences and perspectives. Unsullied by my emotions and perceptions. Not filtered through cultural entrainment or generational belief systems.
I’m not sure who it should be, or is, for you. And I’m not telling you that either! That’s for you to decide. That’s your Personal Exploration into your Unique Genius this week.
“The soul has been given its own ears to hear things the mind does not understand.”
Often and unfortunately, it isn’t always the case that Inner Wisdom is the go-to voice that we listen to, that we heed. Neither is it often the “default” inner voice. Maybe it isn’t even in your awareness that you have an Inner Wisdom?
After all, the voice of Inner Wisdom is mostly a soft whisper. She doesn’t shout, yell, or holler. She doesn't compete with advertising or entertainment. She isn’t super insistent, most of the time.
She can be, when you’re neck-and-neck with the knife edge of really hurting yourself or others, or being hurt. But more often than not, Inner Wisdom glides on silken threads through your awareness, through your being.
How can you begin to notice that she’s whispering?
Start to confirm the small and ordinary things you say to yourself. When you feel cold and your self-talk complains, “I’m so damn cold!”, confirm to yourself, “Yes! I am cold.” No judgement. No critique. And then simply return to your task at hand.
When you’re beyond tired and don’t have an ounce of energy left to wash the dishes in the sink, acknowledge to yourself, “Yes, I am exhausted. I’m going to bed.”
When you’re over a conversation or relationship, rejoice in your inner being, “No! I don’t want to see that person again. Time to move on.”
In this manageable way, paying attention to your self-talk as step #1, you begin to train yourself through the process of recognizing the stirrings of Inner Wisdom and then to hearing her voice. As you authenticate to yourself with affirming self-talk, you gain confidence that she’s there, guiding you along. As you gain this confidence, you will begin to seek her out.
Seeking her is fun, a great personal experiment!
First thing when you wake up, draw your awareness into Current Time in your body. Feel yourself on the bed, the sheets against your skin, the warmth of your burrow. Feel your toes and fingers wiggle. Take a big stretch and offer yourself, your Inner Wisdom, a friendly “Good Morning.” Recognize that she is there with you when you wake.
Have a little convo with her about the possibilities of your day. Ask her “What grand adventures await us today?” or “How are we going to love and serve others today?” Get personal with her and ask about the deepest longings of your heart.
She’s kind and supportive. And also firm and won’t take your BS and your whining, sniveling complaining. She expects of you.
And she will guide you into expecting goodness and strength, hope and positivity, love and compassion from yourself, and for yourself.
She’s a bit sneaky…this is how she helps you make the changes you want, but for some reason, just cannot seem to accomplish. She don’t take no flack! She won’t let you be a loafer.
Why? Oh, because she knows.
And that’s what she’s been trying to clue you into all along.
You are not worthless. You are not incompetent. You might be a tiny bit lazy. Sometimes.
AND, you are of infinite worth and value. And you ARE NOT HERE TO PROVE THAT!
You are Enough
You came to this Earth with your full and complete worth woven into every minuscule thread of your being. That value is a foundational component of each micron that makes up who you are. Sometimes you know that, and you feel settled and easy.
You may, at other times, feel very far from the actuality of your worth.
It is in those distant and untethered times that your Inner Wisdom really wants you. She wants you to incline your head toward her, to be still, to open your heart.
She encourages you to simplicity. She cheers you on to Truth. She congratulates your tuning in. And she commemorates the moments when you actually hear and heed her callings.
She is the the still, small voice. She is personal to you and for you. Only you can find her. Only you can learn to Listen on the Inside and to hear and feel the adoration and the devotion that permeate her every whisper.
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I’m not often a subscriber. My life has taught me the value of independence and being individuated in order to really create the life I want to live.
And…I do recognize, appreciate, and love a supportive community - a recent development in my life. In my new honoring of extended community, it does feel good to have you here. I enjoy having you along for the explorations!
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All the love there is —
Molly
P.S. If you found this useful, please share! The more happier families we have, the better off we are a a world. ❤️