Today our lesson is about the next pillar of our Inner Home for Happiness, “the pillar of the soul.” We are invited to plug into spirit. The three habits associated with “the pillar of the soul” are invite connection with your higher power, listen to your inner voice, and trust life’s unfolding.
What do you call your higher power? This might be God, Buddha or even your inner self. Think of this as your inner GPS system. What values, desires and guidance system gives you your road map for making decisions and showing up authentically for yourself and others? Getting in touch with spirituality in some way gives us a sense of knowing, a sense of direction, a sense of internal peace and well-being. Learning to tap into spirit and trusting our inner voice means matching our energy with abundant trust and fulfillment.
Let’s talk about listening to your inner voice. It is through learning to trust this inner voice that we can begin to trust life’s unfolding. Try the following exercise:
1. Find a quiet, comfortable place, and sit with a pen and paper ready.
2. At the top of the paper write down a question or issue you’d like guidance about. Phrase the question or issue as clearly as possible.
3. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths.
4. Ask your inner voice the question you wrote on the paper. It may take a few moments until you feel ready, but when you do, open your eyes and start writing whatever comes to you. It doesn’t matter whether it makes sense or not. Keep writing until your hand feels like it won’t move any longer, not reading what you have written as you go.
5. Now read over what you’ve written, you may be quite surprised at what wisdom has come out. Even a certain word or phrase may be the key to your answer.
© Copyright 2024 Shimoff & Associates, Inc. Happy for No Reason is a registered trademark of Shimoff & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
I started doing a version of this exercise on my own before I discovered Marci Shimoff’s work. I would go to my safe place, my sanctuary, which is my bedroom. I would sit and silence, breath, and work on slowing down my thoughts-teasing out the thoughts and feelings that were overwhelming me. I asked myself questions such as: “What is triggering me right now?” “What is blocking me?” “What do I need to feel safe or comfortable right now?”
Marci Shimoff offers a similar exercise called “The Most Loving Thing.” The exercise prompts us to write the following question on a post-it note: “What’s the most loving thing I can do for myself right now?” Station this question on your refrigerator, your computer monitor, or where you will see it frequently, especially when you need it. The answer might be sipping water, calling a friend, or even going for a walk.
When you have the answers to your questions, take action. Engage in whatever activity or process has come to mind.
You are wiser than you may think. Your body knows what it needs. You may even want to refer back to my previous post about tuning into your body’s wisdom to expand on this exercise. When you slow down your thoughts, listen to your inner voice, and take action, you will find the exact answer you are craving.