| Have you ever read a self-help book that tells you | | | | a yes or another affirmative response. |
| that you have wisdom within, and you found it hard | | | | 4. Make a specific request for an idea, direction, or |
| to accept that fact? Or, have you been told to listen | | | | information you need in dealing with your current |
| to your inner voice and trust your intuition--and yet | | | | crisis. No matter what appears in your mind or |
| your scientific conditioning tells you to discard such | | | | thoughts, even if it does not make sense, consider it |
| nonsense? And how about the advice to pay | | | | carefully. Most of us have prior expectations that |
| attention to what your conscience is telling you? | | | | often cloud and confuse what comes into our |
| All of these admonitions have a long history of | | | | conscious awareness. So make a careful examination. |
| existence, even if many people believe that without | | | | 5. Ask follow up questions and see what comes back |
| worldly experience it's impossible to have insight or | | | | in return. As your thoughts and images appear |
| wisdom. In reality, nothing is further from the truth. | | | | throughout your search for the wisdom within, have |
| The experiences of young and old alike give first | | | | a pen and pencil handy, so you can write down or |
| hand evidence that in a mysterious way--not fully | | | | draw what you experience. Sometimes you may get |
| understood by anyone--we all get critical information | | | | a sense of what to do and not have an image or a |
| from we no not where (we just say within or from | | | | sound as a sign. You just "know" this is the way to |
| the unconscious). | | | | go in addressing your issue. It will feel good. It will |
| The fact is, useful information for decision making, | | | | feel right. |
| and living with all of the losses and changes in life, | | | | 6. Whatever you receive from the experience let |
| frequently shows up at just the right time. Many | | | | your heart and your reason work through the various |
| have attributed it to guardian angels, spiritual guides, | | | | scenarios that could play out, if you act on the |
| inherent intuition, imaginary playmates, the inner voice | | | | advice. Consider alternative ways of interpreting what |
| of love, deceased loved ones, or the kingdom of | | | | came up, who would be affected, and whether the |
| God within. In any event, inner guidance is available to | | | | new choices you have before you are perhaps too |
| anyone who is open to it and chooses to ask for it. | | | | risky to put to work at this time. Always weigh |
| Here's how to utilize this powerful and often unused | | | | benefits and disadvantages in an atmosphere of love. |
| resource. | | | | 7. Because we have all been conditioned by society |
| 1. Find a quiet place where you can relax and feel | | | | to expect instant success or there is something |
| secure without interruptions. Take some deep | | | | wrong with us, give yourself time to develop the |
| abdominal breaths and tell yourself to slow down and | | | | faith in contacting the wisdom and the source of that |
| release the tension in muscles. Pretend you are | | | | wisdom that lies within. It is there and you can be |
| descending in an elevator, going deeper and deeper | | | | sure it will pour forth if you are patient. Persist. |
| within your mind and heart. Listen for the silence. | | | | And what should you do if on a very rare occasion a |
| Give yourself a few more minutes to fully relax. Then | | | | negative or demeaning image or thought comes forth |
| picture where you feel the originator or source of | | | | from your request for help? Realize this is not your |
| your wisdom might reside. | | | | inner wisdom surfacing. Most likely, it is a punitive |
| 2. Now ask for an image or sign from whomever | | | | authority figure from the past. The love that is |
| (God, your angel, a deceased loved one, your | | | | behind the inner gift would not permit a hurtful |
| unconscious mind, etc.) you feel is responsible for the | | | | message as wisdom. Learn to ferret out whatever |
| many flashes of insight and useful ideas that in the | | | | might be useful, but dismiss the hostility and continue |
| past seem to have come out of nowhere. Listen for | | | | your search. You do not have to submit your interior |
| what pops into your thoughts or what image | | | | life to an enemy that does not belong there. |
| appears. Study it carefully. | | | | To summarize, if you want to be transformed, trust |
| 3. Ask your inner advisor, in whatever form it | | | | your inner voice--your best intuitions. The wisdom we |
| appears, if he/she will help you in dealing with a | | | | need is there for the asking and the listening. Our |
| current problem or decision you have to make. Listen. | | | | culture has trained us to dismiss this useful resource. |
| Carefully observe what appears in your thoughts or | | | | Consult your heart first, and your reason will catch up |
| in image form. Make every attempt to relax and | | | | later. Trust yourself to make the choices and |
| comfortably relate to what appears, just as you | | | | decisions that present themselves. We all possess |
| would with an old trusted friend. The image may | | | | that inherent capability to profit from the amazing |
| change in answer to your question, or you may hear | | | | individuals that we are. |