Everyone has an inner voice, but not everyone pays attention to it. It’s yours and personal. You don’t have to even share it, but you can certainly learn from it. Possibly, the take-aways may even make you a better YOU.
Whether you’re in great place or in an overwhelming one, it’s still important to check in with yourself. Consider these steps as a helpful exercise to activate your listening skills.
1. Stop. Make the time to pause from the daily busy and step away. Putting space between self and world can provide a fresh perspective.
2. Solitude. Being alone can be very cathartic and necessary to feel what you need to feel and think. Solitude doesn’t necessarily have to mean quiet time, just alone time. So feel free to ramp up the music if that ignites deeper thinking. Solitude is good for the soul, at least for me.
3. Truth. You know what you know. Be honest with yourself. Otherwise, who would you be fooling? Think about what’s going right with your life and address what is not. Identify and clarify.
4. The Whys. This could be the piece that could give you more trouble, for sure. We all have patterns that we may not be skilled in evaluating and repeating bad behaviors is often a common culprit. Self analysis is not so easy nor is it typically accurate. Enlisting help from a friend or professional can often give you the objectivity you might need. And if things are going great, acknowledge the whys too. There are life lessons learned from both our failures and successes.
5. The Work. How can you make it better? What will motivate you to change? Are you ready? Life will inevitably change, but personal change won’t be actualized unless you’re part of the process. You need to do the work.
6. The Reward. Without question, listening to self is a very difficult skill to master. Practicing these steps is a very doable exercise and can help strengthen this muscle. It can be an eye-opening experience and a powerful motivator.
Asking the right questions can open up opportunities for positive personal change. Answering them will start the journey and make them a reality.
No need to share your inner voice with me, just listen. Hope these tips help you hear yourself loud and clear.