On a mild March day earlier this week I spent some time in a tiny greenhouse at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It was steamy and warm inside and I enjoyed seeing all of the succulents that grew there.
I almost walked by this little gem of a greenhouse without going in. Not only have I seen it every time I visit the Arboretum, but I’ve walked by without entering or even being curious about going inside time and time again. On Wednesday morning I was looking for signs of spring to photograph. This greenhouse was not a place to see signs of spring.
Still, my inner voice suggested that I take the time to explore the greenhouse. And I’m so glad I paused and listened to
The Little Inner Voice of Wisdom
that told me to spend some time there.
When you pay attention to your inner voice, even if doesn’t sound rational, you may live some of the most important experiences of your life.
― The Unstoppable Thirst : El Camino de Santiago de Compostela An Alchemic Path Towards The Inner Self
Though it was not in my plans for the day, the little respite spending time with the growing plants there lifted my spirits and nourished my soul. The warmth and humidity seeped into me and I discovered that the shapes and textures of the succulents that grew there fascinated me.
My joy experiencing the beauty of this space got me thinking. In this busy, noisy, and sometimes chaotic world how do I hear my inner voice more often? How many times does my little inner voice of wisdom speak but I am not willing or able to listen to it?
I realized that for me, really listening to my inner voice requires solitude, quiet, and suspension of expectation. Being willing to not only hear the inner voice but believe it and then act on it are keys as well.
It sometimes takes courage to listen to and follow your inner voice. Some of the best adventures of my life came from following my inner voice of wisdom even though doing so was scary and impractical. But often your inner voice suggests small easy things to do that will end up bringing you joy or comfort.
I understand now that no one else in the world knows what I should do. The experts don’t know, the ministers, the therapists, the magazines, the authors, my parents, my friends, they don’t know. Not even the folks who love me the most. Because no one has ever lived or will live this life I am attempting to live. Every life is an unprecedented experiment. This life is mine alone. So I have stopped asking people for directions to places they’ve never been. There is no map. We are all pioneers.
― Get Untamed: The Journal
I think that following that little inner voice of wisdom is a way of
Following Your Heart and Choosing Joy
Glennon Doyle is right — there is no map in anyone’s life, but there are practices that can help you hear your true inner voice and to listen to it’s wisdom.
Here are the practices that I find most helpful in hearing my little inner voice of wisdom:
- Spend time alone regularly, preferably out in nature
- Make time in your life to do things you love
- Meditate or spend some time in silence every day
- Notice fleeting thoughts
- Get curious about life
- Create space in your life, both physically by not filling your life up with unnecessary stuff, and psychologically by not filling up your life with shoulds and ought-tos
- Start small, listen to and do one small thing
Wishing you bright days ahead and taking time to listen to your own little inner voice of wisdom.
May you walk in beauty.
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