If you spend much time on sites dealing with the spiritual, you may hear the term "higher self" or "higher consciousness," and maybe you don't really understand what that means. It's a pretty nebulous topic, but I want to describe what it means from my perspective.
Your higher self is the consciousness that's looking out for your greater good.
Pretty simple, right? Well, not really.
Let's say you're looking to make more money in your business and you take on a new client. There are a few things that bother you about this client, like the fact that he calls you after hours and on weekends, despite you asking him not to. You ignore these things and think, "hey, it's money. I can put up with it."
This isn't your higher self talking. This is your ego. How do you know? Because you're glossing over things you know are not great and focusing on the thing you want (money, regardless of how much you have to suffer to get it).
Your higher self, on the other hand, is the one saying, "listen babe, he doesn't respect you or your time. That sucks. It's not in alignment with who you are. Is that really what you want in a client?"
Your higher self is your intuition, and many of us ignore it in favor of listening to our egos. Egos tell us what we want to hear! Your higher self is like an annoying older sister who tells you how it is, even when you don't want to hear it.
And yet, the higher self knows that this client that you're trying to make be right for you will ultimately cause more stress than benefit. You may not be able to see that from where you are, but your higher self can.
Connecting with Your Higher Self
Listening to that higher self, my sweet friend, takes practice. I can think back to so many examples (getting stiffed by a client, taking on a loan I couldn't afford) where I knew something was wrong and I ignored my gut feeling. I've since worked on listening to those little nigglings instead of ignoring them.
I encourage you to start paying attention when your intuition tells you something's up.
But relying on yourself to connect to your higher self is a bit like having a television with rabbit ears. You can get a few channels if you move the ears around. But what happens if you subscribe to Netflix? Now you've got tons of access to great content. That's where other resources for connecting come in handy.
Your "Higher Self Netflix" channel might include:
Meditation
Connecting with angels or guides (or Goddesses!)
Dreaming
Journaling
Tarot or oracle cards
For me, I use all of the above! I'm constantly finding ways to connect to my higher self, and each "channel" offers something different.
Why Connect?
So why is connecting to your higher self important? It helps you make decisions from better places than ego. Think of decisions you've made in the past that maybe you regret. It could be a relationship, career move, or even outfit choice. What thoughts led to that decision, and did you ignore any gut feelings?
Now think about a decision you've made from a place of utter clarity and lack of ego. Maybe you ended a client relationship you realized it was no longer serving either of you. Or you turned down a speaking opportunity because it wasn't aligned with your values. This is you listening to your higher self. Congrats!
I invite you to start listening to what your intuition and higher self are telling you. When you have a thought, ask whether it comes from ego or intuition.
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