WHEN TO FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION

How do I know if an inner message I received contains the highest wisdom for me? Throughout history, and nearly every day in the news, there are stories about people who did odd, or terrible, things because of what voices in their head told them to do. Why does this happen? Intuition literature suggests that this happens for two reasons: 1) the people haven’t disce ed the message received, or 2) the message received was distorted by passing through a darkness or other distortion in the filter of their own minds. So how do I disce whether what I received is in the best interests of all conce ed? There seem to be two key elements to disce ing inner messages: 1. What was the source of the message? Did the message come from the light within me, or did it come from my conscious mind, or from the dictates of society, or from some other non-physical source; 2. Did I understand the message as it was intended by my light within? Or, like a nightmare, did my mind misinterpret what my inner voice was trying to communicate to me? But how do I determine the source of the message and whether I understood the inner message that I received? As to whether the source of the message is my inner voice or just my conscious mind, a simple question can help: Am I detached from the result, or am I pulling for one result or another? For example, if I am thinking, “I can have this double scotch, can’t I,” I am probably not detached from the result. When I can get to a place where I am detached from the result, and ask my inner voice again about the intuition, I can feel comfortable with the answer that comes. For a more general answer to whether the message that came to me was actually from the light within, what did the message feel like? Well, what would you feel like if the universe spoke to you? You would probably feel spiritually uplifted, loving, fulfilled, at one with the universe. On the other hand, if the feeling that came with the message was one of guilt, fear, judgment, demand, or flattery, the message was likely not from your light within. As to understanding the message as intended, the first test is whether the action suggested in the message embodies harmlessness to yourself and others. Any message suggesting harm to yourself or others, especially physical harm, is suspect. The final test of whether you understood the message as intended is whether, upon reflection after the session is over, the message seems simple, practical, and sensible, as all truth is. If your inner voice strongly suggests that you eat lunch today at one restaurant over others, and you have no strong feeling about which restaurant to choose, why not follow the intuition and see what serendipity awaits? The last time I followed a “restaurant” message, sitting at the bar eating alone was a good friend who welcomed a companion for lunch and who was able to tell me an important detail that he had forgotten to relay about a project we were working on together. But what if I’m still not sure about the source of the message or whether I understood the message as my intuition intended? You could ask at another time to see whether you get the same answer. Or you could ask your intuition to confirm that the message comes with the authority of the universe. Or you could ask that the action implied by the message be blocked if you misunderstood the message. How to disce whether any intuitive message contains the highest wisdom for you? Consider the source of the message by testing the feeling of the message and your own detachment, and evaluate your understanding of the message by considering the sensibility of the message and the harmlessness inherent in it. If your intuitive message passes these tests of disce ment, why not try it out—and watch the synchronicity of the universe unfold.