Intuition is the voice within us that instantly knows what is right for us. It is our personal truth teller. It is the voice that carries with it feelings of certainty, rightness, comfort and peace. It is essential to realize that our intuition is always working with us and for us and serves our best interest and development.

So how then do we know for sure if the thoughts and feelings we experience are coming from our intuition? How can we know if these thoughts and feelings are not motivated by fear or wishful thinking masked by our ego?

The first and most important thing to know is that the process of discernment takes practice. The more you practice the better you become at knowing the difference between your intuition and your ego. It is also important to note that as human beings, ego is part of us and the intention is not to rid ourselves of our ego but instead to meet it with understanding and learn how to recognize it in our lives.

Some simple ways of knowing if your ego is taking centre stage is to notice if your thoughts lead to consistent feelings of worry, fear, doubt or anxiety. The ego always wants to be in control, wants to be right and needs to feel safe and protected. The ego operates in a world that keeps us separate from the whole and sees the world as “me vs. them”. It wants to be separate and different from everyone else and thrives on competition and comparison. The ego usually has us believing that we need to have more, be more and do more to feel satisfied.

Instead of enabling our ego, we can choose to focus our awareness on our intuition and our heart and activate the part of us that holds our truth and deep wisdom and that serves our personal development and well-being. When we strengthen our intuition the volume of our ego voice naturally decreases so we are able to hear the subtle cues coming from within.

The intuitive voice is loving, kind, and wise and comes from having an open heart and open mind. It helps us connect to life and to others. Our intuitive voice always serves our soul growth and evolution (whether we understand it in the moment or not).  When we are connected to our intuition, we open up to endless possibilities and opportunities available to us.  We become more deeply connected to our true and  authentic selves when we listen to our intuition and we trust life, ourselves and others.

Ways to know if you are in fact hearing the voice of your intuition is if you feel a sense of calmness, relief, energy, expansiveness and/or peace.

Connecting to our intuition brings fulfillment and authenticity into our lives and thus contributes to our wholeness and the overall health of the planet.

So which voice is speaking to you today? Is it your ego or is it your intuition? And which voice serves you best?

Be gentle with yourself and remember that your intuition is always available to you.

” Developing Intuition means staying fully wide-awake, being fully aware of your experiences moment to moment, whether you are sitting still or actively engaged in work or play” Frances Vaughan.