<blockquote class="ql-align-center">Listen to your heart and not your ego. Your ego prompts you to boast of vain assertions to obtain the glory of this world. Turn away from vanity and seek Him in the recesses of your heart and soul.</blockquote>

The mind should be a powerful machine put at the service of our heart, not the heart at the service of our mind. Let your mind show you how to achieve your heart’s desires instead of forcing your heart to love what your mind chooses by fear.

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							</picture>We often say: “Listen to your heart, not your head”. I would add: for it is from your heart that your intuition speaks, and from your head that your ego speaks.&nbsp;We all have times when we know exactly what our heart desires and times when it all seems blurrier. This internal battle happens constantly in many of us. Today, I want to help you recognize each voice clearly and avoid the tricks that our ego plays on us so as to confuse us into choosing it instead of our intuition.<h2>Our Ego Will Sound Logical and Safe</h2>First, let’s start by clarifying the role of intuition and ego in our life.Intuition helps us elevate and merge with our divine essence, that part of us that’s pure, perfect and boundless. Some call this merging ‘enlightenment’. The ego (here I specifically refer to ‘the part of us that we consider as our Self’, the ‘I’), on the contrary, prevents us from remembering our divine essence by keeping us attached to the pain, suffering and sense of separateness of this world, the only place where it (the ego) can exist. (If you wish to delve deeper in this concept of ego, I recommend the book “The Disappearance of the Universe” by Gary R. Renard)With that definition in mind, let’s take a closer look at how both voices play out in our life.<UL><LI>Emotions — Our intuition speaks through ‘positive’ emotions such as Love, Gratefulness, Compassion, and Forgiveness. On the contrary, our ego uses ‘negative’ emotions such as fear, hatred, anger, sadness and addiction/neediness.</LI><LI>Energy — The energies and vibrations of our intuition feel high and light, linking us back to the emotions of happiness, oneness, and bliss. While the energies and vibrations of our ego feel low and dense and bring us back to sorrow, depression, a sense of separateness and opposition.</LI><LI>Movement — Our intuition pulls us TOWARDS our highest heart desires, therefore prompting forward movement through the shadows of our ego (i.e. it often takes overcoming our fears in order to follow our intuition). Whereas our ego pushes us AWAY FROM what we aspire to do (especially if that leads us in the right direction) keep us on the same spot or push us backward.</LI><LI>Decisions — Our intuition will say “If you truly want it, take the risk” or “Trust me and stop doubting”, while our ego would say “This is the proof it won’t work” and “These are all the reasons why you won’t succeed”.</LI><LI>Judgment — Our intuition will often sound illogical, impossible and risky. Whereas our ego will sound logical and safe so as to keep us in our illusion of safety.</LI></UL>Does any of this sound familiar to you? Do you remember the last time you felt an irresistible urge to pursue something that you felt would open doors for you, and in the split of a second, heard your mind fire up millions of questions, doubts, and reasons why you shouldn’t do it?<h2>I Won’t Even Pass the Entry Exams!</h2>Because I am able to hear both voices in me, I also know that it often takes conscious effort to not choose the ego voice.In high school, I was a Literature major because I loved poems, philosophy, and languages. Upon completing my senior year, I had to choose what undergrad education I wanted to pursue and I so chose International Trades (which was really a study of Languages). However, after three years, I became bored out of my soul and decided to get into graduate Business School. Not into the first year, mind you, but rather into the second year!I remember that I was an exchange student in Barcelona when that idea hit me. And almost instantly, a million of self-limiting thoughts exploded in my mind: “I don’t even know Maths, how am I going to do Finance?”; “People who go to Business School bust be way smarter, I won’t even pass the entry-exams!”; “I shouldn’t demand too much out of life; it’d be really painful if I failed”. Quite frankly, I had no idea where these thoughts came from as I was a bright student, but it felt as if one part of me was deeply insecure. Very fortunately for me, a more confident voice took over and declared: “F*** it. I’m applying to Business School!”. I wasn’t sure if I had what it took to succeed but I did it anyway. Looking back, that was just for me the first of a long series of “insane” decisions, each one being a constant stretch from the previous one.To make the story short, not only did I get into business school with top grades at my entry-exam tests, but I also ranked first of the class and got an MBA on my last year. And to continue with the challenging moves, I got my first job as a journalist traveling the world, then went to work as a financial market officer, an IT consultant, a Marketing Director, and a Transformation Manager. To be honest, none of these moves made any sense to my ego mind who just wanted to keep me in the same little comfortable box. However, I can tell you that one daring decision leading to another, I ended up being always exactly where I was meant to be and rapidly landed my dream job. Had I chosen to follow my ego voice instead, the journey would have probably been much more complex!<h2>Fears […]: Hints That You’re Heading in the Right Direction.</h2>I realize that my personal experience is an unusual example of how listening to your intuition may just effortlessly bring you all that your heart desires. I have also had the chance to be surrounded by supportive people (especially romantic partners) who believed in me and never put me down. Without their unparalleled support, I do see how it would have been easy for me to give in to my self-doubts.I’m not saying that trusting our intuition over our fears is always easy. What I am saying is: “if you do try, you will find yourself flowing with life effortlessly &amp; reap rewards that you hadn’t expected”. So next time you’re faced with the choice between stepping forward or remaining on the same spot, look at your fears and see them for what they really are: hints that you’re heading in the right direction. Lastly, I want to clarify that by no means is the aim to kill our rational minds and live a life devoid from reason. What I’m pointing to, here, is the fact that the mind should be a powerful machine put at the service of our heart, not the heart at the service of our mind.Let your mind show you how to achieve your heart’s desires instead of forcing your heart to love what your mind chooses by fear.<div>Share</div>

Are You Hearing Your Intuition or Your Ego? How to recognize each voice in you and live a fuller life?

philosophy

Philosophy

religionandspirituality

Religion & Spirituality

We often say: “Listen to your heart, not your head”. I would add: for it is from your heart that your intuition speaks, and from your head that your ego speaks.  We all have times when we know exactly what our heart desires and times when it all seems blurrier. This internal battle happens constantly in many of us. Today, I want to help you recognize each voice clearly and avoid the tricks that our ego plays on us so as to confuse us into choosing it instead of our intuition.

First, let’s start by clarifying the role of intuition and ego in our life.

Intuition helps us elevate and merge with our divine essence, that part of us that’s pure, perfect and boundless. Some call this merging ‘enlightenment’. The ego (here I specifically refer to ‘the part of us that we consider as our Self’, the ‘I’), on the contrary, prevents us from remembering our divine essence by keeping us attached to the pain, suffering and sense of separateness of this world, the only place where it (the ego) can exist. (If you wish to delve deeper in this concept of ego, I recommend the book “The Disappearance of the Universe” by Gary R. Renard)

With that definition in mind, let’s take a closer look at how both voices play out in our life.

<ul><li>Emotions — Our intuition speaks through ‘positive’ emotions such as Love, Gratefulness, Compassion, and Forgiveness. On the contrary, our ego uses ‘negative’ emotions such as fear, hatred, anger, sadness and addiction/neediness. </li><li>Energy — The energies and vibrations of our intuition feel high and light, linking us back to the emotions of happiness, oneness, and bliss. While the energies and vibrations of our ego feel low and dense and bring us back to sorrow, depression, a sense of separateness and opposition. </li><li>Movement — Our intuition pulls us TOWARDS our highest heart desires, therefore prompting forward movement through the shadows of our ego (i.e. it often takes overcoming our fears in order to follow our intuition). Whereas our ego pushes us AWAY FROM what we aspire to do (especially if that leads us in the right direction) keep us on the same spot or push us backward. </li><li>Decisions — Our intuition will say “If you truly want it, take the risk” or “Trust me and stop doubting”, while our ego would say “This is the proof it won’t work” and “These are all the reasons why you won’t succeed”. </li><li>Judgment — Our intuition will often sound illogical, impossible and risky. Whereas our ego will sound logical and safe so as to keep us in our illusion of safety. </li> </ul>

Does any of this sound familiar to you? Do you remember the last time you felt an irresistible urge to pursue something that you felt would open doors for you, and in the split of a second, heard your mind fire up millions of questions, doubts, and reasons why you shouldn’t do it?

Because I am able to hear both voices in me, I also know that it often takes conscious effort to not choose the ego voice.

In high school, I was a Literature major because I loved poems, philosophy, and languages. Upon completing my senior year, I had to choose what undergrad education I wanted to pursue and I so chose International Trades (which was really a study of Languages). However, after three years, I became bored out of my soul and decided to get into graduate Business School. Not into the first year, mind you, but rather into the second year!

I remember that I was an exchange student in Barcelona when that idea hit me. And almost instantly, a million of self-limiting thoughts exploded in my mind: “I don’t even know Maths, how am I going to do Finance?”; “People who go to Business School bust be way smarter, I won’t even pass the entry-exams!”; “I shouldn’t demand too much out of life; it’d be really painful if I failed”. Quite frankly, I had no idea where these thoughts came from as I was a bright student, but it felt as if one part of me was deeply insecure. Very fortunately for me, a more confident voice took over and declared: “F*** it. I’m applying to Business School!”. I wasn’t sure if I had what it took to succeed but I did it anyway. Looking back, that was just for me the first of a long series of “insane” decisions, each one being a constant stretch from the previous one.

To make the story short, not only did I get into business school with top grades at my entry-exam tests, but I also ranked first of the class and got an MBA on my last year. And to continue with the challenging moves, I got my first job as a journalist traveling the world, then went to work as a financial market officer, an IT consultant, a Marketing Director, and a Transformation Manager. To be honest, none of these moves made any sense to my ego mind who just wanted to keep me in the same little comfortable box. However, I can tell you that one daring decision leading to another, I ended up being always exactly where I was meant to be and rapidly landed my dream job. Had I chosen to follow my ego voice instead, the journey would have probably been much more complex!

Fears […]: Hints That You’re Heading in the Right Direction.

I realize that my personal experience is an unusual example of how listening to your intuition may just effortlessly bring you all that your heart desires. I have also had the chance to be surrounded by supportive people (especially romantic partners) who believed in me and never put me down. Without their unparalleled support, I do see how it would have been easy for me to give in to my self-doubts.

I’m not saying that trusting our intuition over our fears is always easy. What I am saying is: “if you do try, you will find yourself flowing with life effortlessly &amp; reap rewards that you hadn’t expected”. So next time you’re faced with the choice between stepping forward or remaining on the same spot, look at your fears and see them for what they really are: hints that you’re heading in the right direction. Lastly, I want to clarify that by no means is the aim to kill our rational minds and live a life devoid from reason. What I’m pointing to, here, is the fact that the mind should be a powerful machine put at the service of our heart, not the heart at the service of our mind.

Let your mind show you how to achieve your heart’s desires instead of forcing your heart to love what your mind chooses by fear.

Are You Hearing Your Intuition Or Your Ego?

HAZRAT ABDUL QADIR JILANI

ANDREA REITER

CURATED BY

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