One very important way to get the most satisfaction out of your life is to learn to know YOUR authentic truth…not what you THINK is your truth. It is hard to see sometimes because we tend to pick up on what others see FOR us. In our need for approval, our need to be part of a “tribe,” we are often influenced by what others think we should be doing. They are eager to tell us because it validates their own choices…their opinions…THEIR soul choices. So how do you know when something is truly your truth? The easiest way is to notice how it feels in your gut. Does it delight you? Does it feel like something awesome and new?

If an idea, a feeling, a desire feels really good to you, you might be tempted to share it with others for validation. Sometimes in doing that our direction is thwarted because the person we are sharing it with doesn’t have the same feeling for it that we do. No one else can be expected to “get” what you are feeling because it is unique only to you. Sometimes sharing with others can crush a seedling of an idea before it is ready to stand on its own. Treat an idea that feels so good like a delicate sprout that needs to fill out before being put on stage for review. Don’t give up on it, just hold it close to the vest for a while and give it time to develop.

There are many reasons why people may want to discourage an idea you have…many of those reasons are good, some are bad.

Best Intentions:

They want to protect you from embarrassment

They are concerned about your finances

They have seen you try something similar in the past that didn’t work

They don’t want you to push yourself out of your comfort zone

Not so great intentions:

They are jealous

They don’t trust their own ideas

They fear your success will take you away from them

Well enough of that! But how on EARTH do you learn to trust your own judgment about what is right for you…what is your truth, your soul’s purpose?

There are many exercises you can do to develop an improved dialogue with your higher self so that you can learn to better trust your own judgment. You may make mistakes in this learning process, but you will learn…and you get stronger for the effort.

Here is a process I have been doing myself for years and it has really helped me. At first, I recommend doing this simple process daily if you can. I developed this process when I came to understand that we are made up of several different “bodies” that either work together or against each other. After you do this simple exercise a few times you will get an idea of what I am talking about. The four bodies are physical, emotional, mental, and soul or spiritual.

• First find a quiet place to either sit or stand for a few minutes. Then ask how your physical body feels, and what it needs … is it tired, rested, strong? Your physical body consists of your muscles, your bones, your organs, your skin…you get the idea. So ask how the physical aspect of your total self is feeling at the moment and wait a minute to hear an answer.

• Next ask to get in touch with your emotional body. I usually start by putting my attention in the heart area, and then ask how you are feeling “emotionally” at the moment. Are you happy, sad, neutral, anxious, etc. Ask how the emotional aspect of your total self is feeling at the moment and wait a minute to hear an answer.

• Next you will ask to get a reading of your mental body. That involves your mind and your nervous system. Is your mind working quickly today or are you a bit fuzzy? Ask how that aspect of your total self is feeling at the moment and wait a minute to hear an answer.

• Then, finally, ask for your higher self or soul body to become fully engaged with the other three bodies and ask to bring all aspects (bodies) into focus with each other. I usually feel a deep sense of relaxation at this stage.

At this point, you can trust what you are thinking and feeling. You can trust your own inner voice. It may take a few days of trying this to identify your different bodies, and that is just fine. Simply ask, listen, and then move on to the next step even if you don’t hear anything.

The reason to recognize and honor each of the different bodies is really simple. We know that if we are emotionally upset, we might make bad mental decisions. We know that if we are physically tired, we may snap at someone emotionally.

Think of it as like when you go to the doctor to have your eyes examined. When they flip the different lenses in front of your eye, each layer improves or worsens your vision. When you are making decisions, ALL your bodies are involved in the process, and if one is out of whack, it will affect your decision-making process.

This is just one of the many things you can do to develop a trust in the wisdom of your higher self as your best councilor…to guide you to your own truth. There are many “roads to Rome” and I humbly present this as just one of them … worth giving a try.