About “Guidance”

guid·ance: advice or information aimed at resolving a problem or difficulty, especially as given by an authority.

It’s been almost a year since my husband Steve died. With the loss of his knowledge, experience, and common sense that I depended on, now when I’m confronted with (and dumbfounded by) a task or issue, the answer often just comes to me. But it definitely feels like it’s not “from me”—it’s not from my well of knowledge or experience, not something I would have thought of on my own, and not something that’s “just logical.” I ascribe it to Steve helping me from another plane.

When I “hear” this suggestion—this guidance—from Steve, I don’t actually hear a voice. Rather it’s more like a thought that “pops up” in my mind out of nowhere. Let’s talk about this because I think it’s critically important right now….

There are many explanations for “hearing” such Guidance. The Roman Catholic belief system that I grew up in says it’s the Holy Spirit or your Guardian Angel whispering in your ear. New Agers say it’s your Higher Self or Spirit Guides speaking to you, or your own inner-knowing. Some people say it’s simply a gut feeling, a sixth sense, or intuition.

With so many possibilities you may ask me: “How do you know it’s Steve talking to you vs. your Spirit Guides, intuition, or whoever/whatever?” The answer that “pops up” for me is “It doesn’t matter. We’re all connected in Oneness, so everyone and everything is of the Divine. Thus, ultimately all Guidance comes from the Divine.”

But maybe you have other questions:

• “Is a ‘pop up thought’ different from a ‘message from the Universe’?” I believe it’s not different. It’s all inspiration. It’s all Guidance. And again, it all ultimately comes from the Divine.
• Is ‘hearing Guidance’ different from ‘hearing voices’?” Sometimes a person who has committed, e.g., a mass shooting says they did it because “God told me to” or “A voice spoke to me and told me to do it.” I believe the difference is simple: Guidance is NEVER about doing something that could cause harm to self or to others. Never.
• “If I don’t know the source, how can I determine the credibility of the information.” Again, why does it matter whether the Guidance comes from the Holy Spirit, your Spirit Guides, or your intuition? If it “feels” true to you, and helps or guides you in some way, why is any one supposed source more or less credible?

So why am I bothering to write about any of this? Well, because my Guidance “inspired” me to.🤪 😁

Just kidding. Well sort of. Every post I write here is inspired by a pop up thought or a message from the Universe. And when I’m actually writing one of these posts it’s like I work in concert with my “Muse”—my inner-knowing, my Guidance. I’ll sometimes find myself writing something and then thinking, “Where did that come from??” But isn’t that true of creativity: A moment of inspiration that comes from who-knows-where? So why can’t that same kind of inspiration also be the answer to a question you have, or the solution to a problem that seems insolvable, or a suggestion about a life choice to be made?

Does this mean that when I need help doing my taxes I shouldn’t consult an accountant but rather wait for Guidance? Or that I shouldn’t seek a teacher for something? Of course not. But Guidance can suggest who to go to. And then Guidance can help you discern if what they tell you “feels right” to you and for you.

And that brings up an important factor: discernment. We need to discern which Guidance feels true to us. In my experience, practicing discernment—similar to tuning in to Guidance—is like a muscle you can exercise to make strong. The more you tune in to and discern Guidance, the easier it is to do.

After over 30 years of listening to my Guidance—with admittedly a rocky start—I can now “feel” when it’s just my own (possibly MIS-guided) ego thought vs. inspiration from another source, and I can usually discern if it’s true or not. Although in both cases, I sometimes have to briefly run it past my discernment a couple times. And, to my chagrin, I don’t always hear or heed Guidance—I’m a perfectly imperfect human being like you.

So what difference does any of this make? Good question …

Traditionally, we’ve looked outside of ourselves for information and guidance—often blindly believing what’s said by “experts”—like the latest self-help book, religious clergy, or pundits. But I believe that in these challenging times it’s critical that we take back our personal power that we’ve ceded to those outside experts and, instead, look inward for answers, for Guidance. To begin to listen/observe with our hearts instead of just our minds. To tune into the Guidance that comes to us and observe if it “feels” true to us. And if it does, then to trust it—and act on it.

If you think you don’t already “hear” Guidance, you can start paying more attention—today, right now. Begin to observe when ANY kind of “inspiration” that comes to you—from the mundane to the remarkable. And note: How does it feel? Does it seem to come from within you or from another source? Trust me, with practice, you’ll begin to tune in and discern more and more.

So the big takeaway I leave you with is this: If Oneness, then the source of inspiration and Guidance doesn’t matter—all Guidance ultimately comes from the Divine. It doesn’t matter whether you ascribe it to the Holy Spirit, your Spirit Guides, your inner-knowing, or your intuition—pick one or more that you’re comfortable with. What matters is that we tune in to it, listen to it, and trust it. It doesn’t “tell” us what to do, and we don’t have to blindly follow it—we always have Free Will. But in my experience, true Guidance always proves to be right—even if it doesn’t always fit my pictures.

Fundamentally, I believe that God/Source is in every element of Creation, and thus dwells within us. And that Source/God in its love for us guarantees we’re not left to fumble around on our own on this plane without some extra help—if we listen for it. I find that to be miraculous, magical, and very, very comforting.

So is it Steve sending Guidance to me as pop up thoughts? I don’t know for sure—and I don’t care. Believing that Steve is the source for at least some of my Guidance brings me some solace—that he’s still helping and supporting me like he did for 40+ years even though now it’s from a different plane of existence. And that’s good enough for me.

P.S. The word “inspiration” comes from the Latin word “inspiratus” which literally means “to breathe into.” I picture Guidance as the Divine “breathing” suggestions/help/support into our mind/body/soul.