<!--www.crestaproject.com Social Button in Content Start--><div id="crestashareiconincontent" class="cresta-share-icon fourth_style"><div class="sbutton crestaShadow facebook-cresta-share" id="facebook-cresta-c"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.simplemindfulness.com%2Fvoices-in-my-head%2F&;t=Why+I+Listen+To+The+Voices+In+My+Head" title="Share on Facebook" onclick="window.open(this.href,'targetWindow','toolbars=0,location=0,status=0,menubar=0,scrollbars=1,resizable=1,width=640,height=320,left=200,top=200');return false;"><i class="cs c-icon-cresta-facebook"></i></a></div><div class="sbutton crestaShadow twitter-cresta-share classic-icon" id="twitter-cresta-c"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Why+I+Listen+To+The+Voices+In+My+Head&;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.simplemindfulness.com%2Fvoices-in-my-head%2F&;via=SimpleMindfulns" title="Share on Twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href,'targetWindow','toolbars=0,location=0,status=0,menubar=0,scrollbars=1,resizable=1,width=640,height=320,left=200,top=200');return false;"><i class="cs c-icon-cresta-twitter"></i></a></div><div class="sbutton crestaShadow linkedin-cresta-share" id="linkedin-cresta-c"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.simplemindfulness.com%2Fvoices-in-my-head%2F&;title=Why+I+Listen+To+The+Voices+In+My+Head&;source=https://www.simplemindfulness.com/" title="Share to LinkedIn" onclick="window.open(this.href,'targetWindow','toolbars=0,location=0,status=0,menubar=0,scrollbars=1,resizable=1,width=640,height=320,left=200,top=200');return false;"><i class="cs c-icon-cresta-linkedin"></i></a></div><div class="sbutton crestaShadow pinterest-cresta-share" id="pinterest-cresta-c"><a rel="nofollow" href="javascript:void((function()%7Bvar%20e=document.createElement(&apos;script&apos;);e.setAttribute(&apos;type&apos;,&apos;text/javascript&apos;);e.setAttribute(&apos;charset&apos;,&apos;UTF-8&apos;);e.setAttribute(&apos;src&apos;,&apos;https://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r=&apos;+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)%7D)());" title="Share on Pinterest"><i class="cs c-icon-cresta-pinterest"></i></a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><!--www.crestaproject.com Social Button in Content End--><blockquote><p><em>The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.</em> — Alan Alda</p></blockquote>
<p>Not long ago I wrote <a title="Head vs. Heart: Which Is Smarter?" href="https://www.simplemindfulness.com/head-vs-heart-which-is-smarter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a post questioning which is smarter, the head or the heart</a>. The head is our logical mind and also our not-so-helpful <a title="Mindful Mind" href="https://www.simplemindfulness.com/mindful-mind/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monkey mind</a>. The heart is our intuition.</p>
<p>Messages that we get from our mind are usually logical and can apply to many people. These messages follow a logical path.</p>
<p>Messages that we get from our intuition are almost the opposite. They are sometimes faint and subtle and other times hit us right between the eyes. They’re usually not logical or linear but appear as a concept, a thought, a feeling.</p>
<p>They are only meant for us and can’t be applied to anyone else. And sometimes they seem to make no sense at all.</p>
<p>My experience is that messages from my mind tend to be about what I <em>should</em> do.</p>
<p>Messages from my intuition are about what is best for my true self, what will lead me closer to my dreams.</p>
<h2>My First Big Intuitive Experience</h2>
<p>As a left-brained, logical thinker most of my life (I’ve been a CPA for the past 23 years), I’ve leaned toward following my head and, as a result, have repeated many negative patterns over and over again.</p>
<p>It wasn’t until I slowed down and quieted my mind that I even realized that there was a pure voice inside me that had been trying to whisper its messages to me. Unfortunately, I ignored them for my ‘should’s.’</p>
<p>The first time I felt like I finally started to listen to my intuition was when I was about 28 years old (better late than never). I had been on the fast track to making partner in a big public accounting firm in Boston and had planned out my suburban life for the next twenty years.</p>
<p>And then I started to question everything.</p>
<p><em>[Me]</em> Is this really what I wanted to do with the rest of my life? <em>[Intuition]</em> No.</p>
<p><em>[Me]</em> If not this, then what? <em> [Intuition]</em> I don’t know. But you know that can’t keep doing what you’re doing.</p>
<p><em>[Me]</em> Well what the hell am I supposed to do? <em> [Intuition] </em> Aahhh! Now we’re getting somewhere! You just realized that you’ve spent your whole life doing what you think you’re supposed to do – what others expect of you. What do YOU want to do?</p>
<p><em>[Me]</em> I’ve never really thought about it. I’ve been getting these messages from you in the form of quotes and images from Outside magazine. I’ve been cutting them out and keeping them in a folder and reading them over and over and I have no idea why. <em> [Intuition]</em> What do you think they mean?</p>
<p><em>[Me]</em> Go find myself. <em>[Intuition]</em> Exactly.</p>
<p><em>[Me]</em> I’m still lost. <em> [Intuition] </em> Go west and do something with horses.</p>
<p><em>[Me] </em> WHAT???? <em>[Intuition]</em> You heard me. Go west and do something with horses.</p>
<p><em>[Me] </em> Where west and do what with horses??? <em>[Intuition] </em> You go figure it out.</p>
<p>And I did.</p>
<p>You can read more about that journey of following my intuition in <a title="My Winding Journey to Happiness" href="http://advancedriskology.com/winding-happiness-journey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my guest post over at Advanced Riskology</a>.</p>
<h2>Intuitive Advice From a Friend</h2>
<p>Over the years I’ve learned to leave the answers to life’s big questions (and many of the little ones) to my intuition. It always has the right answers for me when I choose to listen.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://amzn.to/2E2ZLNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="wp-image-1629 size-medium alignleft" title="The Intuition Principle" src="http://simplemindfulness.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/The-Intuition-Principle-final-approved-cover-217x300.jpeg" alt="Why I Listen To the Little Voices In My Head" width="217" height="300" /></a></em>I could go on about all I’ve learned about following my intuition but my good friend, Angela Artemis, does a much, much better job. Her blog, <a title="Powered By Intuition" href="http://www.poweredbyintuition.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Powered By Intuition</a>, focuses on every aspect of our intuition. You can spend some time digging through her archives to find what you’re looking for (which would be an awfully fun and enlightening thing to do) and you can get a copy of her amazing new book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2E2ZLNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Intuition Principle: How to Attract the Life You Dream Of</a><img style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=breaktsystem-20&;l=as2&;o=1&;a=0983745404" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" /></p>
<p>I just finished reading <a title="The Intuition Principle" href="http://amzn.to/2E2ZLNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Intuition Principle </a>and learned so much about how to stay in touch with my intuition every day and how to utilize the messages that I receive (among many other gems).</p>
<p>She includes a variety of very helpful exercises and guided meditations to help you focus on receiving the messages and answers you’re looking for.</p>
<p>I’ve been feeling stuck for years in two particular areas of my life. I’ve applied everything I’ve learned to these issues and they wouldn’t budge. Then I used Angela’s guided meditations, which are very simple, and had some huge Aha! moments. It was like the sky opened and the answers dropped into my lap. Just like that. Really.</p>
<p>Since finishing the book, I find myself going back through it and finding new nuggets to apply to my life (that’s my intuition guiding me again). I highly, highly recommend this book.</p>
<h2>My Interview With Angela</h2>
<p>To help all of us better understand some principles of intuition, I have interviewed Angela to get her expert answers on the topic. She’s an amazing woman!</p>
<p><strong>What is, “The Intuition Principle?”</strong></p>
<p>“The Intuition Principle is a concept that within you exists an innate technology, your intuition, capable of both guiding you to and attracting to you the life and happiness you’ve always dreamed of.” P. 10 “The Intuition Principle.”</p>
<p>By listening to your intuition you are guided to follow the right path in your life. The right path in life is the one you are most passionate about and excited about following. It is the path that best utilizes your gifts and abilities and feels effortless to you. Being on the right path leads to opportunities that open doors to your success. The joyous feeling you get from doing something that your soul craves is the mechanism that attracts more opportunity into your life along this path. “The Intuition Principle” is a guidebook for learning to navigate your life by intuition directly to the most joyous path for your life.</p>
<p><strong>How does “the world come to you” when you are living intuitively?</strong></p>
<p>When you follow your intuition you make wiser decisions according to who you really are at your core and what is truly right for you, rather than decisions based on what others think you should do or what society dictates. Listening to your intuition puts you in touch with the &#8220;authentic&#8221; you.</p>
<p>For example, when you feel an aversion to doing something but, you do it anyway, the aversion you feel is your inner guidance trying to communicate to you to examine your choice. When you follow your intuition and do the things that make you feel joyous, motivated and excited, you live an &#8220;intuitively inspired life.&#8221; You feel &#8220;inspired&#8221; to do the things you do &#8211; and it is that joy and inspiration that brings &#8220;the world to you.&#8221; When you are inspired and exude joy others will be drawn to your energy as will more opportunity for greater success in every area of your life. When you are &#8220;intuitively inspired&#8221; you become a dynamic and magnetic force in your own life!</p>
<p><strong>How can I tell the between the voice of intuition and voice of the ego?</strong></p>
<p>Intuition makes you “feel good” about doing something. You will feel excited and experience a sense of “certainty” about it. When a thought comes from the ego, often you’ll feel as if you “should do” it. You’ll be aware of your rational mind recounting the reasons why you ought to do it. Intuition is more of a feeling while the ego is a rationalization that comes from the intellect.</p>
<p><strong>How does fear affect intuition?</strong></p>
<p>Fear constricts the flow of intuition. When you’re fearful about moving forward with something in your life, your doubts will overtake your mind. All you will hear are the reasons “why not.” If you are in a dire situation where you are afraid for your safety or your future and filled with fears, this too will block you from hearing your intuition. Essentially, anytime we allow fear to hijack our emotions, we – our mind &#8211; becomes overtaken by fearful thoughts. The thoughts are so strong and emotionally charged that we can think of little else. The quiet little whisper of our intuition is going to be drowned out by our fearful thoughts.</p>
<p>The thing to do is find a way to calm the mind. Repeat affirmations or a mantra. Meditate. Go for a long walk or relax in a hot bath. Do whatever it takes to break the spell that fear has on your mind. When you do, you will hear your intuition again.</p>
<p><strong>What advice would you give to someone who struggles to hear their inner guidance?</strong></p>
<p>Learn to relax. Let go of the outcome. Don’t worry about being wrong. Intuition thrives in a relaxed peaceful state of mind. One other thing you can do is to learn to meditate and practice every day. Meditation relaxes the mind and allows your thoughts to slow down. When your mind is not crammed full of one thought after another, your intuition will easily stand out.</p>
<p>Practice by asking for guidance when you are meditating. Ask and then sit quietly and listen. Do not expect to hear a &#8220;booming voice&#8221; like I did. It is your own voice that you hear in your mind. Trust whatever comes. It could come as a &#8220;thought&#8221; or a picture in the mind or as a &#8220;gut feeling.&#8221; After you do this a while you will begin to truly trust this voice and know it as your intuitive wisdom. Practice is key.</p>
<hr />
<p><a href="http://www.poweredbyintuition.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="alignright wp-image-1630 size-medium" title="Angela Artemis" src="http://simplemindfulness.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Angela-Artemis-photo-300x225.jpg" alt="Powered By Intuition" width="300" height="225" /></a>Angela Artemis, an intuition coach, is on a mission to teach readers around the world to “speak intuition” so that they unlock all the brilliant potential that resides within and start successfully living the life of their dreams now – not later. She blogs at <a href="http://www.poweredbyintuition.com/">www.PoweredbyIntuition.com</a> and is the author of <a href="http://amzn.to/2E2ZLNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Intuition Principle: How to Attract the Life You Dream Of</a><img style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=breaktsystem-20&;l=as2&;o=1&;a=0983745404" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />. Angela is offering some great bonus materials on her site: <a href="http://www.poweredbyintuition.com/free-tools-4-readers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.poweredbyintuition.com/free-tools-4-readers/</a></p>
<p> ;</p>
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Why I Listen To The Voices In My Head
