Listening to Your Inner Voice

Last Updated on January 17, 2021 by Sloane Marie

One of the most beneficial and uplifting things that a mindful person can do is to listen to their inner voice. This voice is different from the internal dialog that people hear when they are talking to themselves.

The inner voice is called by many names. It gives you an opportunity to do good things for yourself and for other people. Listening to your inner voice is a positive influence in your life, and it will bring you benefits that otherwise may not have come your way. Read further to learn about the benefits that come from listening to your inner voice.

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Listening to Your Inner Voice

This voice is discussed in many cultures. Some call it our conscience. Others call it god, or they think that a saint is talking to them. Some people describe it as an angel on their shoulders.

Different cultures and peoples have had many names for this voice. Whatever the name, it serves the same purpose. It is there to guide you toward positive, supportive and beneficial actions. It will always tell you the right thing to do, even if you don't spend enough time listening to your inner voice.

It is important to learn how to follow the guidelines of this voice. Many times, it will ask us to do things that may be different from what we desire. For example, this voice will always remind you to tell the truth, even if the truth will damage your reputation or harm your goals. For this reason, we often ignore the voice and choose to lie or commit other harmful actions.

Those who have chosen to ignore this voice for long periods of time may not hear it anymore. They may even believe that it doesn't exist. For others, the guidance of this positive influence is enough for them to reach positive goals and receive helpful benefits.

Your inner voice will never tell you to do anything immoral or harmful. If you find that you are thinking negative thoughts, then you aren't listening properly.

How to Properly Listen to Your Inner Voice

The inner voice doesn't require obedience, and it doesn't expect immediate action. Oftentimes, this voice simply gives information that will lead to your positive development. It is always wise to listen to this voice, but you should also ensure that you take rational and beneficial actions. Harming living beings, stealing from others, inciting mistrust, or making a living on harmful actions are against the goals of your inner voice.

If you have no inner voice that gives you this advice, then perhaps the world that you live in is excessively stressful or busy. It would be beneficial for you to remove yourself from the negative influences in your life. Many people who determine that their career is unbeneficial to themselves and to the earth will move into the country to enjoy a quieter pace of life. One of the most important bonuses of moving toward nature and silence is the fact that the voice will become louder and more influential in your life.

There are stories throughout history that this voice will test you. It will, and this is perfectly acceptable and normal. The purpose of these tests is to ensure that you are still in rational control of your mind. A famous story involved a father sacrificing his son to this voice, but in the end, the voice explained that he shouldn't sacrifice his son. At no point will the voice ask you to do something harmful, which is one of the main ways you will know whether this voice is a good influence worth listening to or a bad one.

Using Your Inner Voice in Your Day-to-Day Life

The benefits that come from listening to your inner voice are endless. Of course, it is always wise to ensure that you are being influenced by a positive voice.

Some people experience negative influences that ask you to do harmful actions. These negative voices are caused by previous harmful actions that you have taken, such as addictive behaviors, lies and slander. Oftentimes, these voices compete for attention with your inner voice, which makes listening to your inner voice harder. It is important to properly apply your rational mind to the goals of each influence.

For example, if something tells you to bring harm to someone through harsh words, then it is likely caused by personal pride or external hatred. Pride and hatred are emotions that aren't connected with your true inner voice. When listening to your inner voice, it is important to know that the only goals that it has are ones that are good.

Goodness is beneficial, truthful, kind, compassionate and supportive. In a sense, it is like an echo. When one does something good, goodness returns as though it was multiplied many times over. As one continues to follow the inner voice of good, that voice continues to grow in strength. If someone properly begins listening to their inner voice when it speaks, they will likely notice that it becomes stronger and clearer over time.

Benefits of Listening to Your Inner Voice

The inner voice is your personal conscience, and the thing within you that seeks to do good. If you ever feel regret or shame, then realize that these are simply reflections of personal failures. This voice doesn't seek to berate you but simply reminds you of previous mistakes to prevent you from doing them in the future.

In time, you will find that your moral senses will increase to a level where you begin to question actions that you have never thought about previously.

Eventually, feelings of love and compassion will fill your actions. People who kill harmless insects, such as moths, ants and most spiders will find that they won't harm the creatures. Instead, they will begin to move them out of the house with paper towels or other means. Additionally, aggressive and violent thoughts will diminish and eventually cease.

To start developing and listening to your inner voice, you must first become open to doing beneficial things. If you already do good things, then continue to listen to any advice which leads you to do good. The more you listen, the more that it will speak. Those who learn the art of listening to their inner voice will realize how positive energy and events start to manifest more readily.

Does Everyone Have an Inner Voice?

Listening to your inner voice is hard enough. What if you don't have one? 

While many people have language-based chatter like "I can't believe she did that," or, "What was I thinking?", some people don't use language at all in their minds. These people use images and visualization instead of actual words when they are thinking.

It turns out that people are most likely to use inner dialogue when they are in a stressful situation and under pressure. For example, you might rehearse the answer you will give in a job interview. 

Even if you can't "hear" an internal dialogue or inner voice, this doesn't mean you don't have a conscience or a way to process the outside world. Studies show that most people don't actually have a constant, neverending narration about what's going on in their day-to-day life. Whether you have an actual voice or just a gut instinct though, it is time to start listening to it.