Life is full of noise, isn’t it? How can you possibly sustain your inner connection in the face of all that?
You know what I mean. The kids fighting for who gets the last cookie. Relentless news stories competing for attention. Middle-of-the-night wondering about your life.
Consider how your whole body gets impacted. How it feels.
Take a moment to check in with yourself right now and see. Is your body tight? Is your stomach constricted? Are you caught up with worry and concern? Do you find yourself getting sidetracked and off-purpose?
Here is why this is important.
When your attention goes to the noise around you, your best intentions for yourself are undermined.
So, what could you do instead?
Sustain Your Inner Connection
The key is learning to sustain the connection with the source of guidance that lies within you.
It’s true. Inner guidance requires focus and commitment. The need to sustain your inner connection is not just for use in times of crises. Instead, it becomes a way of living, moment to moment.
True inner guidance comes from a relationship that you actively develop over time. You discover that you are able to rely on your own inner wisdom and sensitivity. It changes the way you live and your approach to everyday situations. As you get to know your “best friend”, you won’t feel alone—because you can trust your inner “teacher”.
When you build a pattern of living from the inner connection, life works. It brings you an experience of constancy and inner peacefulness.
So, Where to Begin?
Here are some things you can start with to build your inner connection.
1. Dedicate some “check-in” time with yourself each day. Allow time for uninterrupted silence. It can be a period of reflection, where you might look back over your day. Was there anything you would have liked to have done differently? Is there something you want to celebrate?
2. Pay attention to the quality of your thoughts. Are you critical of yourself or those around you? Is there a belief that is out-of-date or self- limiting? Like attracts like.
3. What tone do you use with others when speaking? Notice what attitude is present when your tone is less that it could be. Your tone gives you clues about how you are feeling towards yourself. It lets you know that “noise” is getting in your way.
4. Notice how your body feels in situations throughout the day. Is it tense, anxious or uncomfortable? Tension is a clue to track what is needed at that moment. Note it as something to explore, not to judge.
5. Pay attention to the synchronicities, coincidences, “random” thoughts, etc. Ask yourself questions about what you notice. Inquire.
6. Does your day feel effortless? If not, what is in the way? If it does, acknowledge your connection, what you are learning and celebrate it.
7. Writing: Use writing as a way of dialoging with your inner self. Ask questions, write down the answers and read them aloud. Do the answers feel true? Let your body sense of this guide you.
8. Action: Taking action based on trust in your inner direction, develops new life perspectives, a feeling of expansion and trust. Taking “aligned” action builds a new way of living.
What about you? How do you sustain your inner connection?
Reflection Time
Take a breath. Release it. Take another. Devote some dedicated time of concentration/meditation. It doesn’t need to be hours of quiet, perhaps only 15 minutes. Then allow the question to simmer within you. Let responses bubble up into your awareness. Notice new ways of thinking, of images or ideas that arise spontaneously. Pay attention to your dreams. Let it happen. Be aware. See where it leads you next. Let yourself savor this process of receiving from yourself. Don’t judge whatever comes up, just receive it. Make notes.
I invite you to share something from this process. Sharing anchors insights in your body. It leads you to deeper insight. It stimulates action. Feel free to use this arena to share whatever moves you.
9 Responses
The prayer in the morning helps me to establish a first contact with my being interior, apart from my conscious mind. The contact with nature provides me with joy and peace. That noise you speak is very strong and it is hard to eradicate it, but trying always to transform it, lead to something better.
Manuel–Welcome to the The Baca Journey! Thank you for sharing this. Having a morning “practice” of some kind sets the stage for the day. It’s so important. It allows me to return to myself anytime I find the noise distracting. I don’t think we can eradicate the noise, but we can stay connected with ourselves in the face of it.
Laurie
Paying attention and focusing are two concepts that I am working on to be “better.”
They will make life flow more easily, for sure, Roy. Thanks for your comment!