Learning to Listen

Too often we walk around thinking we know less than we do. We believe that if we only had some answer, or even a clue to the answer, or on really hard days even a better understanding of the question, that we'd be richer, braver, happier, smarter, better looking, more successful, or any other attribute that seems in short supply and great demand.

We all strive to hear our inner voice. But sometimes there's a lot of static. The cues are confused, subliminal, even contradictory. We're unsure which to trust. How can we integrate and unify these messages? Consider the aspects of your self: emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical.

When you listen to your heart, what do you hear? If you're lucky you have experienced the deep longing and excitement that comes with love. Perhaps also the sharpness of desire that pushes you to the edge of temptation. The strength of unconditional love, be it with a partner, a friend, your family, or even your pet. Your heart speaks to you of intimacy, of connection, of caring.

Focus on your mind. How often have you felt doubts and confusion when you feel thwarted or pessimistic? Or the acute clarity that comes with true knowing, with understanding exactly the thread that will help you solve some thorny problem? Your mind speaks to you of insight, of imagination, of creativity.

Your spirit is the aspect of you that yearns to comprehend your purpose in the grand design, in the web of life. Whether your focus on an external deity or your own inner light, the question of spirit is always a deep visceral desire to understand why. Your spirit speaks to you of purpose, of goodness, of your essential nature.

And through all these intermingled pieces of motivation and desire, despite all the fretting and second-guessing, you live your life, with a partner, profession, family, chores, hobbies. You live in the material world of responsibilities and achievements, which you pursue with energy and attain with pride. You live wanting to grow, on all levels, from the emotional to the material.

We all a sense of hope about our future. We want our fears to be groundless and our visions to become manifest. We want to love and be loved. We want to believe in our own self-worth. We want to make something of our lives, and to share them with others.

So how can you be ready to take advantage of life's possibilities, to make progress not only in the outer world but on your inner journey?

The best answer is the simplest, though it requires that you give clear attention and that you be honest about your own core values. It means doing a regular check-in about what's happening in your life and how you feel about it.

You can do this in just a few moments, if you are willing to be quiet enough to hear your inner voice. Though the prism of your world is a shifting mirror, and the picture seems in constant flux, you are its focal point. Your evolving sense of connection to, and confidence in, self-knowledge is the key to success, both in the material world and in the evolution of your spirit.

You can learn everything you need to become your own best teacher, if you can:

Know your heart.
Hear your mind,
Trust your spirit.

Don't be afraid to amplify your inner voice. Strive to live with greater awareness and intention. Brighten your psychic mirror. Learn to dance with your own spirit.

- M. Tamar