Now that I’m a mother, I hear myself saying things all the time that my mother said to me when I was a child. That wouldn’t be a problem if they were positive things but too often they’re not. They are often judgments about myself, my family, or life itself which aren’t very affirming.
Limiting Beliefs and Imprints
I remember that two of my mum’s ‘mantras’ (repeated phrases) were “Life isn’t fair” and “We can’t afford it.” I don’t actually say those things to my children but I catch myself thinking them at times and it makes me aware that I’m carrying within me some very limiting beliefs and imprints which simply don’t serve me or my family.
I invite you to consider that many of the opinions and judgments you think or express about yourself, life and others are probably received from early authority figures in your life, and may not actually be true for you.
All too often the voice within us that is ‘our truth’ is buried beneath these other statements of belief, and if you don’t take the time to sit quietly and listen you might miss the whisper of your soul’s voice that has another perspective to offer.
Your Authentic Voice
When I talk about your ‘authentic’ voice, I mean the voice that rings with the vibration of truth for you. The voice that speaks from your heart - the voice that speaks with love both for you and for others. The voice that is quietly powerful and resonates with your own authority. Sometimes that voice needs to say, ‘That’s enough!’ Sometimes that voice says, ‘Yes! This is what I want.’ Sometimes that voice says, ‘Let’s stay in bed today and trust that the world will manage without us.’
Listening
How do you discern the ‘still, small voice’ within you when all the other voices in your head are clamouring for attention?
You sit. You breathe. You open your heart. You connect to the Earth. You connect to the Universe. You listen. You ask. You listen. You ask. You begin a dialogue with your innermost self. You give yourself permission to say anything. You listen some more. You become your own best friend.
It may take a little while for the mind chatter to subside, but trust that your authentic voice, your soul’s voice, is always there, waiting for a break in the traffic to wave at you and call, ‘I’m here.’
If you do this regularly, you may find that you start to make different choices in life. You may find that you start to speak up for yourself in ways you had not imagined you would. Sometimes, you may open your mouth and different words come out, but they are the perfect words because they are your truth. And you find that you are ‘heard’ by others, that they ‘get it’ in a way they didn’t before. They might not always like your ‘truth’ but if it is truly spoken in your authentic voice, you can trust that it will be for your highest good and theirs also. Even if it doesn’t look like it at the time.
Wisdom
You might also be surprised at the wisdom that you hold within yourself when you take time to listen to it and to allow yourself to be the authority in your own life. No-one else, however important and valuable they are to you, can ever know what is truly right for you. Of course, you can allow yourself to receive wisdom and guidance from others, and we all have many beautiful teachers in our lives, but always check in with yourself to see if it really rings true for you.
The more you learn to trust in your own inner voice, the more your life will become a splendid expression of your authentic self. This is all life asks of any of us.
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