Shameela Yoosuf Ali
‘We do not listen as we used to’ is a complaint we often hear, especially in this era of advancing technology.
In my adolescent years, my father always said to Listen attentively before responding.
When I conduct sessions for early childhood educators, I explain the difference between hearing and listening and various types of listening, such as attentive listening and appreciative listening.
This year have been busier than I expected it to be.
My son turned two last month. The second year of human life seems challenging, interestingly for him and us. Some call it terrible two, while I call it temperamental two. Balancing household work, child caring and managing two businesses is a lot of demand. When I am overwhelmed, I look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘By all means, you chose to do this. Of course, I decided, but sometimes the pressure can be too much to handle. Well, this is a message from my inner self to me to listen to it.
Let go of your mind and then be mindful. Close your ears and listen!
Rumi
Everyone needs a space to think and listen to their authentic voice buried under the seven seas.
But, unfortunately, life makes us so busy that we cease listening to our inner voice.
Our inner voice is an unadulterated authentic reflection of our soul. But, unfortunately, the voices from our egoistic intellect and the voices outside are loud and boisterous that our inner voice is submerged most of the time. Have you ever noticed that we are so conditioned to go straight to our heads when we’re looking for answers? It seems pretty progressive to go with the decision logically instead of considering our gut feeling. We celebrate logic than intuition. Because for many of us, it makes sense. But, it is the inner voice or the instinct which has all the keys to all our unopened doors.
We must listen to our inner voice. This is the voice of our authentic selves. It is the voice that speaks to us and guides us towards the path of your true purpose, flowing through effortlessly, seeking harmony with life.
Sometimes many voices are swirling around in our heads, making it difficult to know which one is our real inner voice. This is because our mind, ego, fear, and inner voice all battle for our attention.
There are a few ways we can cultivate in us to listen to my inner voice.
First, make an effort to create a space to connect to the inner self. It can be different things for different people. Praying early morning before the world awakes is one such thing for me. Paying attention to small details, let it be your own body or the people and occurrences around you, is another such thing. Listening to an old song that attaches us to a specific time or mood, painting or writing whatever we feel, sometimes doing nothing and allowing ourselves to be bored, can connect us to our inner wisdom.
In our cultures, we have a negative relationship with our emotions. So either we try to suppress them or let them drown us.
It is important to sit with our emotions and listen to them. Emotions are messengers, and they desperately attempt to get your attention to convey something. Intuition often speaks through our emotions.
In modern times, most of our sciences have separated the body from our soul. When we have a physical problem, we tend to treat the physical symptoms. These bodily signs can actually be the calling of our inner voice. We should not neglect any bodily sensations like a digestive issue, a persistent headache, or a lingering backache. These symptoms and feelings are trying to channel something to us.
Give your ears.
Personally, when I feel overwhelmed and lack creativity, I remind myself that it is time to slow down. Sometimes, this slowing down can be considered not productive or lazy by those around me. It does not matter. When we know where the real peace lies, we will stand for our true selves rather than satisfy social demands. It is not easy to challenge the status quo when the whole world seems like it is in a race. The noises outside can create confusion and prevent us from following through on what our inner voice tells us to do.
Our intellect and ego vs our intuition and heart?
When you are at a crossroads, unable to decide, listen to your inner voice.
When you sail through your life, let it be your relationship, profession or studies; if it does not spark joy within you, if it does not align with your heart, just pause and listen to your inner voice.
It may seem easier to look for answers outside of yourself. But get in touch with your inner self and seek guidance within.
The answers are already there within us.
The only thing is we need to make an effort to listen.
