“I shouldn’t ask for that raise. My gut tells me not to. My boss will just laugh at me and say no! I probably don’t deserve it anyway. I know this is just my intuition telling me not to make a fool of myself.”

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But is this actually your intuition?

We all suffer from negative self-talk. It’s that inner negative dialogue that prevents us from moving forward.

But sometimes we mistake it for our intuition, So how can you tell if the voice inside your head is coming from your Higher Self (your intuition) or if it’s coming from your Ego Self (your fear)?

We all have many voices inside our heads—our family, our friends, society, and then our own Ego Self, and our Higher Self.

You can think of your Ego Self as the little four-year-old version of you whose only job is to keep you safe. She often sounds shrill and panicky and doesn’t want you to try anything new. She’s like a small child who is desperately clinging to your leg telling you all the reasons why you should avoid something!

Your Higher Self, on the other hand, is the highest version of your very best self. She is wise, expansive, and sees the big picture. She speaks quietly, calmly, and without emotion. She is completely neutral!

When trying to determine if it’s your fear or your intuition talking, here are some questions to ask yourself:

1.  Is this voice speaking to me negatively and beating me up or is it kind and does it see the good in me?

2. Does this voice see everything as scary and want me to stay in my comfort zone or does it see possibility and opportunity in this situation?

3. Is this voice judgmental and sees others as a threat and competition? Or does it see the good in others?

4. Does this voice have a scarcity mindset or an abundant mindset?

5. Is this voice keeping me stuck or moving me forward?

6. Does this voice make me feel expansive as if my heart and my whole body are opening up? Or does it make me feel constricted and small making me want to shrink and hide?

However, the tone of the voice is the most important factor.

7. Is this voice fearful and panicked or calm and neutral?

Here is a good example. If you were boarding a plane and you heard a loud, panicky voice in your head yell, “Get off the plane! It’s going to crash!”  

That would not be your intuition! That’s fear talking. You can tell because of the stressed-out, anxiety-ridden, fearful tone. However, if you were sitting on the plane and you heard a calm, neutral voice say, “It’s time to get off the plane.”

I would follow the instructions pronto!

Your intuition always has a certain gravitas.

It feels different than fear in your body. For me, I hear or feel a word, a phrase, or a sentence and it is always accompanied by goosebumps on my right forearm and an “ah!” through my heart. So now when I feel these sensations in my body, I know this is my intuition talking and it’s time to pay attention.

Listen to your body and watch for specific sensations that show up with certain messages. Your body is the vessel for intuition to flow through!

Like anything, listening and trusting your intuition takes time, patience, and self-trust. When making a decision or trying to move forward, it can be helpful to pause a moment, take a deep breath, feel your body, and then listen to the calmest voice you hear.

Your Higher Self is always there to guide you…whether you are listening or not.

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