Listening To Your Inner Voice - Rosie in a New Light

Introduction: The Voice We Often Ignore

Have you ever had the feeling that something was or wasn’t right?

Maybe you met your partner and just knew they were the one for you. On the flip side, maybe you met someone and immediately got the feeling that you should avoid that person.

Maybe you had a strange urge to merge into a different lane, and at that exact moment the car next to you moved into the space you had just created.

Once, I was on a road trip and we pulled off to the side of the road to rest. Something told me to leave the car running, so I did. Later, when we stopped for gas, we found that after shutting the car off, it wouldn’t start again. That small voice kept us from being stranded in the middle of nowhere.

All of these examples are your intuition at work.

It’s that still, small voice that tells you exactly what you need to know in a given moment.

Sometimes we listen to it, and sometimes we don’t, but it’s always there. Your intuition, or gut feeling, is constantly guiding you.

The goal, of course, is to listen to our intuition. But sometimes that small voice gets drowned out by other things.

Sometimes we look outside ourselves. We wonder what people will think or how they might react.

We disregard our own feelings and seek the advice and opinions of others. Sometimes we still hear that voice, but we think our way out of it and try to make logical sense of what we’re feeling.

And usually, in the end, we find that the voice was right.

Have you ever ignored your gut and later found yourself thinking, “I knew it”?

In this post, I want to talk more about our inner voice. What is it, really? How can we connect with it, hear what it’s telling us, and learn to work with it moving forward?

What Is Intuition?

Let’s talk about it.

To begin, intuition is not:

Ignoring logic
Acting impulsively
Avoiding difficult decisions
Assuming every feeling is automatically correct

Intuition can be:

An accumulation of your experiences
Your emotional awareness in action
Remembering your values
Trusting your observations and what you see with your own eyes
Your ability to notice when something feels aligned or misaligned

Sometimes your intuition is not giving you a new idea. Sometimes it’s nudging you toward something you already know.

Your mind may notice things before you consciously process them.

For example, you may have a job that drains you. Your intuition may tell you that this job isn’t for you long-term – you just know. In a situation like this, it can be both evident based on the facts and accompanied by a feeling of certainty.

You might make a decision and either have a strong feeling attached to it, or very little feeling at all. If you get a promotion at work, for instance, and you’re not excited about it, what is that telling you?

Or, if you find yourself spending more and more time on a particular hobby because it makes you feel grounded, what is that telling you?

Your Gut Feelings Are Worth Paying Attention To

I’m sure you’ve heard people say, “Always listen to your gut.”

It’s good advice.

If you’re walking down the street at night and something tells you not to go down the alleyway, don’t go down the alleyway.

If you’re driving home and something tells you to circle the block first, do that.

Your gut not only keeps you on track, it can also keep you safe.

Your body often responds before your mind catches up.

Some examples might be:

Noticing a sense of calm when something aligns
Feeling resistance when something feels wrong
Relief when you finally make a decision
Exhaustion when you are ignoring yourself

Your body is constantly communicating with you. The question is whether you are listening.

I’d also like to briefly discuss the difference between fear and intuition.

This is important.

Fear often sounds like:

“What if everyone judges me?”
“What if I fail?”
“What if I disappoint someone?”
“Stay where it’s safe.”

Intuition often sounds like:

“This isn’t right for me anymore.”
“I need to make a change.”
“This matters to me.”
“I know this is scary, but I need to try.”

Both can feel uncomfortable.

The difference is often what they are moving you toward.

Fear usually keeps you small.

Intuition often asks you to grow.

The Times We Ignore Ourselves

Sometimes acting on our feelings can be difficult. We might be intimidated or uncertain about making a change and stepping into the unknown.

Perhaps our intuition is asking us to do something we have never done before. Maybe that means getting a different job, reassessing your relationships, or making a lifestyle change for yourself.

Sometimes you know that you need to rest, but you are so determined to meet your goals that you keep going.

Or maybe you know you aren’t happy in a certain situation, but making the decision to act is hard.

Most people often know before they can admit it.

And knowing and acting are two different things.

If we ignore ourselves, it might be because:

We don’t want to disappoint people
We don’t want to start over
We don’t want to admit something isn’t working
We want things to be easier
We want someone else to tell us what to do

Yet ignoring that inner voice often leads to internal conflict.

When our actions don’t match what we know deep down, we often feel:

Stuck
Drained
Disconnected
Restless

Why We Stop Listening Inward

Many of us are trained to look outward. From a young age, we learn to prioritize expectations, approval, and other external measures of success.

From the beginning, we are taught to:

Follow the rules
Anticipate and meet expectations
Be successful in all areas of life
Make others proud
Choose the “safe” option

But sometimes the safe option is not the most appropriate option.

The more we focus on other people’s voices and allow outside noise to clutter our minds, the harder it becomes to hear that small voice within.

Comparison makes this worse.

When we look at other people’s timelines or where they are in their careers, it can make us feel behind.

When we compare ourselves to other people’s relationships, we may be comparing ourselves to a fantasy.

If we measure ourselves by other people’s definitions of success, we will never be happy that way – or at least not in any meaningful, lasting way.

And we lose touch with what all of those things mean to us personally.

Listening Inward Requires Trust

You cannot listen to yourself if you do not trust yourself.

Trusting yourself means valuing your perspective and recognizing that your emotions are communicating something important.

Your intuition becomes stronger when you pay attention to it. Each time you listen to yourself, you reinforce the belief that your voice matters.

Ignoring yourself teaches the opposite lesson.

Listening builds trust, and trust makes it easier to listen more.

Your Intuition Does Not Mean Life Will Always Feel Easy

The right choice can still be scary.

Following your inner voice does not mean you won’t feel fear. Uncertainty and discomfort are always possibilities, but you can learn to sit with those feelings.

Just because those feelings arise does not mean you shouldn’t listen to yourself.

Sometimes the right path is the hardest one.

Some examples might be:

Leaving a job you’ve had for 10 years because you know it’s time
Moving to a new city
Setting a boundary with someone who might not respond well
Walking away from something comfortable

The right decision is not always the easiest one. Sometimes it is simply the one that feels most aligned.

How to Start Listening to Your Intuition

Let’s look at some actionable steps.

1. Create Space to Hear Yourself

You cannot hear yourself when you are constantly consuming outside opinions.

Take some time for yourself. Early mornings can be a good opportunity to:

Spend time in silence, even if it’s only ten minutes a day
Take walks and be present with each step
Journal your thoughts and feelings
Meditate and practice being still
Limit distractions such as excessive screen time

2. Notice What You Keep Coming Back To

Be mindful of your thoughts. Ask yourself:

What thought keeps returning?
What decision have I been avoiding?
What do I already know deep down?

3. Pay Attention to How Things Feel

Without judgment, notice what feelings show up for you.

Ask yourself:

Does this feel expansive or restrictive?
Does this feel aligned or forced?
Am I choosing this because I want it, or because I am afraid?

4. Practice Trusting Yourself With Small Things

This is where we strengthen the relationship with ourselves.

Start by consciously making choices.

Choose:

What you actually want to eat
How you want to spend your time
What plans you actually want to make
What feels right for you

Small choices teach your brain that your voice matters.

5. Stop Asking Everyone Else Before Asking Yourself

Before you ask someone:

“What do you think I should do?”

Turn that question inward first and ask:

“What do I think?”

Conclusion: You Are More Connected to Yourself Than You Think

Your intuition, gut feeling, inner knowing – it’s worth listening to.

Sometimes we ignore those messages, and it can happen for any number of reasons. We may be afraid of outside opinions, or maybe we just don’t trust ourselves enough yet.

Either way, it’s not a matter of searching for yourself. It’s a matter of reconnecting with yourself.

The answers you need may not always come immediately, but they are often closer than you realize.

Your intuition has been with you through every chapter of your life.

It was there when something needed to change, and it was there when something felt right.

Quietly, it has always been reminding you to come back to yourself.

Learn to listen to that voice. Learn to trust it.

Because the person who knows you best has been with you all along.

Resources If you’d like to learn more about closure, check out these links:

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