Inspired Reality Blog

I recently received an email from a coach working in Malaysia.  She sent through a couple of paragraphs on the topic of our inner voices.

Whilst perhaps aimed at a more esoteric audience the email definitely had something to offer in the context of thinking clearly in business,  backing your own judgment and quick decision making.

Here are the key points from the email:

1. Within each of us, there are numerous voices competing for our attention.
   
2. It can be difficult to decide which one to listen to, particularly when their messages are different and sometimes conflicting.
   
3. One voice, however, is the speaker of truth. IT is the one which encourages you, gives you hope, and pushes you to trust and believe in yourself.
   
4. Conflict within oneself is often caused by internally dueling voices. As we move through life, we get mixed messages from the various aspects of ourselves. (If we are rely on external feedback to make our decisions this challenge is only further exacerbated.)
5. Some of our voices, such as the naysayer or saboteur, can speak so loudly that they drown out the voice of truth.
   
6. Listening to your true inner voice – often the voice of understanding, support, and self-assurance – can help lessen and even resolve internal conflict.

So how will you know that you are listening to the ‘true inner voice’?

Here are some hints:

1. Connect with it whilst in a relaxed and alert state.
2. Understand that it if you feel confused or are focusing upon past failures or self doubt this is NOT the voice that serves you.
3. Pay attention to the voice that speaks to you with understanding, and compassion – the one that bolsters your spirits and urges you to go after your goals.

So how does this feed into business life?  In executive coaching one of the more common agreed objectives is supporting an executive to ‘own their role’.  This inevitably translates into increased assertiveness, confidence and a clear internal reference point for decision making ie knowing that you know what you know and being willing to communicate that to others.

There is little space for qualitative data such as the ‘gut instinct test’ in the Boardroom.  At the end of the day it is all about the facts and figures.  Having said this it would be interesting to poll senior executives to determine the extent to which ‘gut instinct’ plays a role in decision making? I suspect the results may be surprising.

Perhaps this is where the trusted inner voice has a role to play in testing the quantitative data.

So if you are tired of the mental gymnastics give this concept some thought.  Particularly if you’re results oriented and future focused but your faith in your own judgment or ability to succeed is lacking. The more you listen to and believe in what your true inner voice is telling you about your value and your potential, the stronger that voice will become – as will your assertiveness and confidence levels.  And the more you disregard the voices that can interfere with your resolve to succeed, the quieter those voices will become.

Give it a try – I am sure you will be pleased with the results.