Have you heard a humming in your heart? No, I don't mean a murmur. I mean a chest-pounding pulse that occurred after an idea popped in your head that really fired you up.
Perhaps you thought, This is a tremendous idea, and you couldn't wait to get moving on it. Then something happened. You began to question your genius. You doubted your ability to go through with it or your chance of success. Finally, you gave up and decided not to pursue it at all.
The voice inside our heads is constantly walking us through this journey between enthusiasm and self-doubt. But that voice doesn't have to be the little devil on your shoulder. It can be the sweet angel instead.
The voice inside constantly speaks to us. Three things happen when it does: We miss what it said, or we hear it but ignore it, or we hear it and follow its guidance.
Many years ago, a friend of mine said that I will never get where I want to be unless I listen to and understand what the voice is trying to tell me. I used this advice many times, including years later when I was asked to speak to inmates at the Jessup Correctional Facility in Jessup, Md.
When composing my remarks, I knew I wanted to give the inmates a message of hope, and so the title of the speech that popped into my head was “Jailbreak.” Yeah, that’s a title of hope for inmates.
Soon after, I weighed whether that might be a bad idea. After all, I was going to a prison and mentioning a “jailbreak” might cause a problem. I second-guessed myself for a while, but remembered that I really need to listen to the voice inside. The voice inside was telling me that the word “jailbreak” was actually a perfect title for a speech to prisoners about getting outside of their mental prisons and discovering that if they work at it, they will not be permanently bound by the circumstances that led them to their incarceration.
The speech proved to be an unbelievably rewarding experience, certainly for me, but I think many of the inmates also felt a bit of a release. Perhaps they caught a glimpse of how different the rest of their lives can be if they focus on building positive futures and not get stuck in a destructuve loop reliving their pasts .
The best part of the day for me though was when the audience busted out lauging at the title of my remarks.
How do we know when that inner voice is pushing us toward a positive action or a destructive behavior? It comes from recognizing fears and distinguishing them from valid concerns. It comes from knowing the difference between taking calculated risks and sabotaging ourselves.
Discerning the literal from the figurative and separating purpose from fear can shift entire paradigms and change futures. Even something as small as a speech title can reverberate in ways we can only imagine.
Practicing awareness of the motives behind that voice helps us make better decisions about what is good for us or not.
So I ask you to consider these questions when you hear that inner voice:
• Can you count the number of times in your life you heard a calling and because of fear, you chose not to take action?
• When you heard that voice and something bad happened, were you following it or ignoring it?
• What's the worst or best thing that could happen when you hear that voice giving you a new idea?
• How many people could you inspire by taking action that the voice suggests?
Answers to these questions can help you recognize the role the voice plays in your heart and head and exercise your awareness. This awareness is a necessary ingredient for living a fulfilled life.