We all have a Universal Guide or inner voice.
In some traditions, this may be called the Holy Spirit. It can also be called Waheguru which means wonderful teacher or supreme being. Other names include Higher Self, the superconscious, Guardian Angel, the Comforter etc. depending on what tradition, culture or belief system that people belong to.
Whatever you choose to call it, this Universal Guide is on hand to help us with decisions, fears, phobias, anxieties, judgements and misperceptions.
So here are my tips for unlocking our channel to inner guidance and higher wisdom.
Tip number 1: You don’t have to have a psychic gift
When it comes to receiving guidance from Spirit or our Higher Self , the first thing to remember is that no one has special dispensation or special favour.
Don’t think you’re not good enough or not intuitive enough or not psychic enough or not spiritual enough.
Yes, some people have had more practice at listening to guidance from Spirit.
Some people may hear guidance in beautiful prose.
But equally, if Spirit communicates with you in some kind of slang or dialect that you’re familiar with, it doesn’t make it any less meaningful or true. It’s not the form in which the message appears that is important, it’s the meaning of the message itself.
Anyone who sincerely wishes to communicate with Spirit can do so. This is because at another level, we are all Spiritual Beings just pretending to be human.
Our Whole Self, our Eternal Self is Spirit, and it is that which gives us Guidance.
Tip number 2: Receiving guidance from Spirit is a form of prayer. Only it’s listening rather than talking.
Last week, I heard a couple of interesting definitions of prayer.
One was from a teacher of the Kabbalah who described prayer as a “gut-level” need.
Another description I heard was from an ACIM teacher who described prayer as “the heart reaching out for that which it desires.”
Beyond our worldly desires which might include a new job, a better car, a nicer house, romance, increased financial income, better health or a perfect body, what we ultimately desire is peace, fulfilment and happiness.
Eventually, sooner or later, we will get tired of yearning for things that only satisfy us temporarily and we’ll start towards a journey on a search for true fulfilment beyond the things of this world.
Picture yourself on a moving staircase. An upward escalator. It’s not easy to walk down an escalator that’s moving up.
The easiest thing to do is to go in the direction that the Universe is going and to be in alignment and in sync with it.
There is no point in trying to do your own thing and go against the flow. It’s like going down an upward moving escalator. The Universe is mighty. And when we join with the Universe or with Nature or with the Natural Order instead of trying to fight against it, then so are we.
This involves listening to what is best for us and allowing ourselves to be guided rather than giving the Cosmic Powers That Be a shopping list of what we think we want.
Tip number 3: Choose the right voice
That is, choose the right voice to listen to.
We have two voices that serve as guides. One is a judgemental voice which feeds us with fears, anger and hate.
The other one is a Voice that nourishes us with Love.
If the guiding voice you hear is critical, judgemental, grandiose or harmful, then it’s the voice of your Ego Guide and it should not be paid attention to.
If this voice is telling you to go out and murder someone, obviously this is not the voice of Higher Wisdom. It will never encourage any harm. Tough love maybe. But not harm.
Listen to the Guiding Voice that nourishes you with Love, Comfort and Understanding and Common Sense. It is practical as well as wise.
Tip number 4: Don’t limit the format in which you receive your guidance
If we want to communicate with this inner source of wisdom then sincere intention and desire are all that is needed to communicate with the Infinite Light and Guide within us.
But it may not be in the form of an internal conversation or thoughts in your mind.
It may come to you in the form of a feeling. It may arrive as spontaneous but inspired action without forethought.
You may receive this communication through the words of another human being – a child, a neighbour, a family member or even someone you dislike.
Guidance may be given to you through the lyrics of a song. It may come to you through an overheard snatch of conversation on the bus.
The answer will come to each of us in many ways at our own level of understanding and in our own language or using our own cultural symbols.
So, once you have asked for guidance, stay alert. Listen and watch for signs and synchronicities.
Your willingness, your intention and desire will lead you to hear, understand and follow your inner guide.
Tip number 5: Have patience
The ingredients required to hear and follow your inner guidance are willingness, intention, desire and PATIENCE.
It’s very important for us to have patience with our self once we get started on this practice.
Give yourself time. Learning to listen to guidance is like exercising and strengthening a muscle. This gift will grow stronger, the more you practise it.
Tip number 6: Use a Journal
You may want to keep a journal of the guidance you think you have received, if you followed it and what happened when you did.
Tip number 7: Be kind to yourself
If we judge our self, criticise ourselves constantly, we will slow our progress down and then we will be unable to hear the guidance of our higher wisdom because the voice of our Ego Guide will boom loudly in our inner ear.
So, in remembering the Golden Rule which says, treat others as you would like yourself to be treated, keep in mind that you should treat yourself how you would like others to treat you, with dignity and respect and with patience when you make mistakes.
Listening to the wisdom of your Higher Self or Universal Guide is the second stage of Serene Empowerment.
The book, Serene Empowerment covers the 12 Stages.
