REALLY NAILING SELF-TRUST

"As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live."

-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hi Patrice,

Even with all of my years of spiritual practice and my conviction that inner wisdom lies within, subconsciously, I have still wanted an external voice to tell me what to do. Even with my eyes closed, I have still expected higher guidance to come from 'out there' through a flash of inspiration or a clear voice from above or a meaningful image or ... something unusual. If there aren't any bells and whistles, how will I know it is higher guidance?

Well, that kind of thinking has kept me in the dark. Finally, I've flipped the light switch.

What do I know with certainty? I know that the energy field that gives rise to all life (what we might call God or Source) is my essential nature. The power and presence of Source -- my higher guidance -- is always with me because it IS me.

I have not trusted my inner voice because it is so familiar. It's been with me for so long that I haven't acknowledged its power and wisdom.

So that's the next step -- to move completely into self trust. And yes, I need to discern whether the small voice is truly the voice of wisdom or of past programming (my ego). Fortunately, accurate discernment is easy. Do I feel expansive with the guidance of that voice or do I feel contracted? It's so simple.

I have been aware of little nudges inside that I've ignored as I sought the REAL voice of wisdom that I expected to come from out there somewhere. Still looking for something I don't have and ignoring what I do have. Really, this is so obvious to me now that I have to laugh! It's the cosmic joke so eloquently expressed by Rumi:

"You wander from room to room
Hunting for the diamond necklace
That is already around your neck!"

~ Patrice

"Remember the phrase, 'The real teacher is within you.' Very simply, that teacher is to be found in the common sense of your own heart."

-- Sara Paddison

"I trust so much in the power of the heart and the soul; I know that the answer to what we need to do next is in our own hearts. All we have to do is listen, then take that one step further and trust what we hear. We will be taught what we need to learn."

-- Melody Beattie