Have you ever thought about how wonderful it would be to just know what to do in every situation? Whether it is a life direction, a career choice, or as simple as what food is supportive for you!
Many times we wish we had someone to guide us on those things where it’s really of no use knowing what others are doing. It’s just for us to decide.
Actually, the good news is that we all DO have an inner guide who is always ready to assist us. No matter what the situation is and how trivial or important the issue, we can count on our internal guidance system that is like the ideal best friend – comfortable, unconditional, always there.
We just need to listen and read the signs that are being given to us.
Simple but not always easy.
Let us take a look at how we can partner with our Inner Guide to achieve our goals:
We all make plans. Plans on a personal and on a professional level. Even a young teen makes plans. Sometimes they don’t work out but many times we even achieve those goals and get external success. But then, many times it only leads to the next problem or issue to deal with! Like a 14 year old was telling me, that she got good grades in her first semestral exams but now she was anxious and under pressure to maintain, if not exceed those grades! Over time, we feel there is something missing. We don’t quite feel Happy as we thought we would. It’s just one pursuit after another. Why does that happen?
Clearer goals
Perhaps what we set out as our goals was not really aligned with who we are in the first place. Because many times our “goals” come from looking outside at friends, competitors, society etc. We put all our energy and effort into chasing what appears to be a picture of success rather than on what really appeals to the inner self.
Listening to our inner guide, which is inherently smart and intelligent, gives us that clarity of what really matters to us as individuals and what we need to do to make the desired difference in our lives.
Sometimes our inner guide may just tweak our plans and fine tune it and at other times, give completely different direction to what we set out to do at the beginning.
Either way, our inner guide really does know what is best for us; so listening to it saves time and effort while getting aligned with the bigger picture version of our lives.
An authentic process to achieve our goals
We often use logic or what our peers and others (including those from another time) are doing to set about achieving our goals. Often that leads to a cookie cutter format which may leave us more confused, in knots.
We miss the forest for the trees, which leads to short sighted decisions.
An unbalanced decision we make, while seeming right at the time, may inadvertently hurt those around us as well as ourselves because of our limited perspectives and the restricted picture it presents to us.
Inner guide (or gut feel or insightful, intuitive perception- by whatever name we call it), will on the other hand always align us on a path that is in our best interests and yet not hurt those around us, making it a win-win situation for everyone involved and completely authentic for every individual.
Ongoing course correction
There is a popular saying, “Man proposes , God disposes”.
What this essentially means is that very rarely does life go according to plan.
And yet, we spend so much of our time, chasing our set goals as if they are cast in stone.
Sometimes persistence is a virtue, sometimes persistence may become rigidity without us realising it. This means that we keep moving in the same direction
which may no longer be right for us, feeling like we are going uphill, without really achieving what we set out to do.
Our inner guide is really smart. It has an innate wisdom that like a compass, can help us stay on the right path for us even though it may look different to what we had expected. Similar to the lane assist function in cars, that helps us stay in our lane and avoid any collisions with oncoming traffic, our inner guide has the capacity to recognize when we are steering off course and do course corrections in real time as and when required.
The reality is that we are dynamic beings who are part of a dynamic environment and hence we must be in a position to alter our course going forward based on constant changes happening around us. When we only use our mental logic and analysis function, we may miss signs and clues around us.
But when we tune in into our inner guide and read the signs, there is an automatic Smart option available and things work out much more smoothly and supportively for us.
So, we intuitively know if perseverance to the original course is the need of the hour or we need to be nimble and change course. A million dollar decision, everyone will agree!
Achieving our goals with a sense of fulfillment
It can be so tempting to follow other people’s formulae for success – a big home, flashy cars, a high-flying job and the list goes on. Nothing wrong with that. But often when we do accomplish all of that, we are still left with a feeling of emptiness, as if there is something missing in spite of meeting all our material aspirations.
Following the inner guide connects to that sense of purpose within us that gives meaning for us on a deeper level.
Your inner guide knows that your truth may be different from other people’s opinions and as such leads you to a path that makes life more fulfilling and meaningful for you. When we lead our life in this manner, we go beyond the short-term feel-good factor to a more sustainable source of nourishment that enriches all areas of our life.
But how do we access the inner guide?
We’re actually our own gurus because we carry all the information and tools for self-care that we need within ourselves. But how do we access this inner guide?
There is no one set way to do that, but many people recognise it as a gut feeling, intuition or an overwhelming sense of knowing what to do.
A good way to start is by trying to be still. Just sit in a quiet, calm space. Throw out the question for which you are seeking a solution (to no one in particular) and then simply wait and listen. The stillness will help the chatter of the mind to subside and make way for the guidance to come through. We have to be quiet to be able to hear right?
The more you act on your instinct, the more you develop your “muscle” of tuning into it. With practice, you’ll learn to align your decisions with the messages you receive back from your inner guide. It needs practice to discern the inner guidance from the mental chatter.
It may come in the form of an idea or someone might just bring up the very subject you were wondering about and give you the required information. There could be signs and clues sent your way in any form. This is not random but rather your inner guide trying to communicate with you and build a stronger connection.
Over time, you will realise that the actions that reflect your inner truth are the ones that create the most powerful and meaningful shifts in your life that will help you meet your goals.
Staying on the path in this journey
Although being connected to our inner guide helps us to notice any signs or messages, it can be a challenging journey. Having the perseverance (and this case, Persevere, We Must!) to be different from commonly and popularly accepted norms to live our lives, may be a bit daunting especially at the beginning. The main thing to remember is that our truth is not found in other people’s opinions nor is it found in material acquisitions. It is quite simply
found within us. All we need to do is make that connection by using our inner guide.
Start with small decisions which don’t matter either way. Build up your confidence as well as the connection to the gut feel. Taking baby steps within our comfort zone will help in staying on the path for the long term where we can fully realise the potential of our inner guide.
Perhaps for a short period, stop seeking advice from others or from the internet for simple things and just go with your instinct.
Keep strengthening that inner connection and toning that muscle to your inner guide. This will build your confidence and competence in accessing this intuitive way of leading your life in a manner that is best for you.
As the author and Spiritual Master, Amit Ray says, “You are your master. Only you have the master keys to open the inner lock”
The above is extracted from the fortnightly Membership Call series where Geetha, Yuen Method Practitioner and Instructor, addressed these issues and strengthened the members in the group to the points mentioned above, removing blocks in the nervous system as well as non-physical aspects of their profiles in order to make it easier to achieve their goals. (We many times have the best of intentions and endeavour to do it but fail because our entire profile is not strong for it. Just wishing or intending it will then not be enough).
More information on Geetha Padmanabhan and the Membership Series as well as other services offered can be found at www.synergies.me
