Do you find yourself listening more often to your inner critic or to your inner wisdom? If you’re not sure, your inner critic (aka your ego) is the little voice that works hard to keep you safely in your comfort zone. It’s the one that might whisper disempowering (and untrue) thoughts like “I’m not enough” or “I’m not good/thin/smart/worthy/______ enough”…you fill in the blank. These thoughts do not feel good or empowering and keep you stuck and that’s how you can tell they are coming from your inner critic / ego mind.
On the other hand, when we listen to our inner wisdom - our heart, our intuition - these thoughts feel really good and represent our true authentic self. When we embrace and take inspired actions on these thoughts, and get out of our own way, we will be led to a life of joy and happiness, doing and being what we love.
Consciously listening to our wisdom and then implementing the messages takes some practice and focus and it’s so worth it. When I look back on my life and think about the times I followed my heart and perhaps stepped out of my comfort zone, I was happy, excited, and unstoppable! Life flowed with far more grace and ease.
When I reflect on those times I did what I was “supposed to” or “had to”, my heart wasn’t happy, life seemed harder, and not so much fun.
How about you? When you look back on your life, do you remember the times that made you feel happy, passionate, and joyful about life? Were those the times you truly followed your heart - your intuition?
Below are 3 suggestions I have used to reconnect with your intuition and find more enjoyment for your life.
- Explore Your Creative Side.
What did you enjoy doing as a child – reconnect with that creativity and keep an open mind. Is there something you’ve always wanted to try? For me, I always wanted to paint and this past summer I took a couple of evening painting classes just for fun. It was so fun and I felt so empowered. I also found some uplifting adult coloring books and colored pencils. A friend I met at the local library turned me on to Diamond paintings – which are inexpensive on Amazon. In spare moments, I’ve been working on a beautiful hummingbird painting for several months now. I find that these creative activities make my heart happy along with being very relaxing and therapeutic. - Let Gratitude Be Your Guide.
Look for the nuggets of good in every situation. When I discovered that I was not on the right path in my former career, one of the best pieces of advice I received from my own coach was a reminder to look for the things I could appreciate while I was still in the job even though I had fallen out of love with the compliance work I was doing. I appreciated the great people I worked with. I appreciated that I didn’t work weekends and that I was receiving steady income. The job provided me with paid holidays, and I knew what I was doing – could do it in my sleep I think. I had great relationships with the people and offices I supported and I didn’t have a long commute. I made a list of all that I appreciated and read that list out loud and with feeling each day until I was able to retire from that discipline and start my own company. That was immensely helpful in changing my outlook about that situation. - Learn Something New.
Learn something just for the joy of it. Study, explore, immerse yourself in new things. This can also bring new friends and communities of like-minded people into your life increasing your connection. Over the past few years, I’ve immersed myself in so many interesting things that I find just fascinating – and it’s so much fun learning and developing because you want to and not because you have to.
What is just one new thing you might try this week that will fill you with happiness? Could you schedule just one hour each week to engage in a heart-led activity just for you? I hope you do. It’s life changing!
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