awareness
Just What Exactly Is Your Higher Self?
Do you keep hearing the term “Higher Self” and wonder what exactly it means? You’re not alone.
For a spiritual term that gets mentioned so often, the concept can feel surprisingly vague. Depending on who you ask, it might refer to your soul, your intuition, your divine essence…or even a more perfect, higher-dimensional ‘doppelgänger’ version of yourself.
Confusing? Absolutely. But also fascinating.
So, let’s explore and unpack what the Higher Self actually is.
From my own perspective, I like to think of the Higher Self as my soul’s GPS. For me it is an ever-present, intuitive inner voice gently guiding me toward choices and paths that align with my spiritual evolution.
Like an inner GPS, it may repeat itself when I’m off track, whispering that familiar message: “Recalculating route.” Sometimes, we don’t want to hear it, but when we listen, life flows more smoothly.
Our bodies also serve as translators for the Higher Self. That “gut feeling” when something is off? That’s your Higher Self warning you.
That heart-flutter of excitement when a choice feels right? That’s your inner GPS saying “yes.” When we treat the Higher Self like a best friend, who is loving, honest, and always rooting for us, we begin to live more authentically.
Over the years, I’ve come to recognize my Higher Self as a quiet, consistent presence that urges me to become more of who I truly am. It has helped me navigate challenges, offered insight during moments of uncertainty, and nudged me toward experiences that ultimately helped me grow.
Simple Guidelines For Real Spiritual Growth
Spirituality is a wide-ranging concept with many diverse perspectives. In essence it is the process through which our inner being seeks to relate to something bigger than ourselves. It is the search for the meaning and purpose of our human existence.
Spirituality is about our soul or spirit, and the unseen realms, as opposed to material things and physical life. It is also the life-long pursuit of inner peace, unconditional love, and existential wisdom and understanding.
Many people believe that the secret to spiritual growth and development can only be found in a book, a lecture, dogmatic belief system, or some other product or service that will magically unlock the doors to spiritual insight, happiness, joy and fulfillment.
However, spirituality is a unique, personal path that each of us can explore on our own, from within. The following guidelines may be helpful on your journey towards spiritual fulfillment.
Reflection
The first step in personal spiritual growth is reflecting on your life journey. To be spiritual is to be questioning and inquisitive. Spiritual growth is a process of constantly learning and improving. One must be willing to open yourself to personal and spiritual growth, and by doing this your world opens up and things become less scary.
Holding on to past events keeps us from experiencing new adventures, and the emotional baggage will only weigh you down. Accept your past mistakes and learn from them. Reflect on what changes need to happen for you to move forward.
We are all teachers. We are either teaching someone, or they are teaching us – both good and bad. Learn from your experiences and move on with life.
Seeing The Real World Of The Heart
As a woman and mother, I have questions about things happening in my world. As an intuitive empath, I receive questions that others have about things happening in their world. A recent experience sums up what I consider to be the most reliable source of inner wisdom, and where answers can be accessed by all of us.
I was awake one night with the energetic sensation of a specific situation permeating my experience. I could feel the energy in each expansion of my chest, as I inhaled. It filled my every breath, my every sense. My mind questioned, but I heard the guiding whisper of God in my soul say, “The real world is in the heart.”
There are spiritual dimensions of reality that are deeper, finer, subtler, more substantial than what is evident on the surface in the physical world. The door that opens to them is within the heart. There is truly more than meets the eye.
This realization reminded me of the illustration plates in the anatomy section of my parents’ encyclopedia, which fascinated me when I was a child. It wasn’t the human body per se that so intrigued me; it was the way the transparencies overlaid one another to form the whole picture.
At the top of them all was the skin, creating a picture of a human the way I was accustomed to see. As I turned the first page, I got a glimpse of something I had felt but never seen directly before with my eye, namely muscles. Page by page continuously showed deeper levels of anatomy beneath the surface, including the circulatory system, organs, and skeleton.
Reflections On Time…And The Timeless
During my morning walk with the dogs, I found myself nostalgically reflecting on a time in my life when “there was a place for everything, and everything in its place.”
As comforting as that kind of order once felt, I’ve shifted considerably in how I relate to time constraints in recent years.
Over the years, I’ve gathered a menagerie of many rescue dogs and cats who’ve taught me to prioritize what truly needs my attention and focus, and to stop “sweating the small stuff.”
A neighbor also recently reminded me, “Hay tiempo para todo.” There is time for everything.
The general approach to life in the Spanish town where I live is (sometimes annoyingly so!) very easygoing, with a shared belief that what doesn’t get done today will simply get done tomorrow.
You often hear the locals say, “Mañana,” with a smile, which seldom means “tomorrow.” It means, “Tomorrow is another day, so don’t stress, don’t rush, it’ll all get sorted in time.”
I’ve reflected on this often, and the quality of life enjoyed by most Spaniards is a testament to the fact that perhaps they’re doing something right? It is especially evident in family life still being a priority for people living here.
In our little town of around 8,000 souls, people still pause to smile and greet one another. I’m lucky to be able to converse with the locals in their own language, but I’ve also seen how warmly they respond to foreigners, especially those who are still finding their way with Spanish. There’s no judgment, just appreciation for the effort.
Reclaiming Your inner Peace In A Noisy World
When was the last time you sat down with yourself? I mean really be in the moment and connnect with your inner being. When did you last pay close attention to your thoughts, feelings, and sensations?
So often, we go about life on autopilot, barely acknowledging our inner world. Over time, this becomes a way of being.
We stay caught up in the human busy-ness that keeps us focused on the practical aspects of life. Important, yes, but often at the expense of our spiritual and emotional well-being.
The result is a kind of soul fatigue or a quiet weariness that stems from disconnection. We may notice a sense of restlessness or dissatisfaction, but struggle to trace its roots. That’s often a sign our inner world is calling for attention, urging us to slow down and truly listen.
Even when we do find quiet moments, we rarely use them to check in with ourselves. We live in a world of endless distractions: a computer at our fingertips, the internet in our pocket. This disconnect is creating a divide between real life and our presence within it.
Today, I felt inspired to write about reconnecting with our inner selves and creating more balance between our spiritual and practical experiences.
This doesn’t require a massive overhaul. It just takes intention. It can be as simple as spending a few quiet moments with your thoughts and feelings.
Here are three simple yet powerful ways to slow down and reconnect with simple, meaningful moments in everyday life.
Are You Experiencing A Spiritual Awakening?
As a psychic reader, I sometimes have clients who quietly confess that they are afraid they might be “going crazy.”
In truth, they are usyally just experiencing the early signs of a spiritual awakening. These profound shifts in your awareness and energy can feel disorienting, yet are deeply meaningful.
So, how can you tell if what you’re feeling is part of a spiritual transformation rather than a personal unraveling?
The term ‘spiritual awakening’ is somewhat overused these days in metaphysical circles. Just about anyone who has a ‘woo-woo’ moment, or gains deeper insight into a situation, or suddenly sees chakra colors, seems to believe they are having a true, full-blown ‘spiritual awakening.’
Spiritual awakening does tend to occur spontaneously, and from what I’ve witnessed, the more open-minded the person is and the less attached to outcomes they are, the more available or ‘ripe’ they are for a spiritual awakening to occur.
Just the other day a client was telling me of her experience while peeling a carrot over the kitchen sink. She said she was looking down at her hands, watching them, and wondering what was animating them?
It can be a strange moment when you discover that you are not really who you thought you were. It can be disorienting, to say the least, to see yourself from such an objective position. However, if you know ahead of time that this is perfectly normal, and others have experienced these signs too, it can make your life a lot easier.
False Education Appearing Real (F.E.A.R)
I love the acronym F.E.A.R. (False Education Appearing Real) since we all have people, circumstances, phobias and so forth, that can put us into that space.
Fear is an instance of emotion that is triggered by the awareness, or anticipation of danger. It can also become a state of being. Excluding clinical fears, needing professional help, there are many fears we simply impose upon ourselves as a result of life experiences.
One of my fears is acrophobia, the fear of heights. When I get within five feet from the edge of a rooftop, I begin to shake.
Climbing 30 foot ladders has me nervous and when I hiked to the pinnacle of the mountain of Macchu Picchu in 2004, I could not take those last six nervous steps onto the plateau pinnacle rock. This was partly being due to a few other tourists already sharing the rock… and I am a little “accident prone.”
Although I was invited by my partner and the guide, I leaned against the rock debating my fear, shaking a little at the prospect and wishing that I could take those final steps, as I might regret it after I hiked down. Part of me did regret not taking those last steps when we got back to the base.
Yet, a bigger part of me knew I had to acknowledge the feelings in the moment, and since I am not a regular exerciser, I already had accomplished something tremendous by taking the hike to the top and back down the back side of the mountain. On the way I enjoyed the magnificent views and spiritual energy for several hours. Continue reading