Do you ever wake up with a question in your mind? I’ve done that a lot this week. I’ve always been a questioner of why things are the way they are. I like to observe and analyze. It’s no wonder that I love to write mystery—I love figuring out the puzzle. It’s not the murders or the case that drives me. It’s the diving into the reasons why, uncovering people’s motivations, and the dynamics of the life that drove someone to choose a certain path.

I write about several themes in my novels, but one that stands out is the importance of listening to your inner voice. Ways of hearing my own inner voice seemed to be the question that lingered in my mind each morning recently—how do you hear it when circumstances around you threaten to drown it out? And how do you learn to trust it. For my P.I. and my amateur sleuth characters, if they weren’t listening to their inner voices, they’d become victims of their own story. The same can be true for ourselves if we’re not paying attention.

Listening to ourselves is one of the most important things we can do. In the chaos that has ensued in our world lately, I believe now more than ever it’s essential.

Below are just a few things I’m doing to be able to hear that voice, and some you might consider incorporating in your life:

1. Quieting the Chatter. I’m turning off the news and minimizing social media. I can’t completely tune out the world, but I don’t need to be checking it constantly and staying riled up. If I’m so busy listening to everyone else’s opinions, I find it’s hard to tune into my own. Reducing the chatter around me allows me to focus on what’s pertinent to my life right now.
2. Meditation. I have incorporated 15 minutes of daily meditation into my life. I find that by starting my day in this way, I’m more focused and able to hear myself. There is a ton of research that supports that meditation reduces the stress hormone cortisol and even helps one sleep better, so it’s worth checking out. And it doesn’t have to be a big production. Just a quiet place where you can shut the door and be alone with your thoughts. Your mind and body will thank you for the break.
3. Get Out into Nature and Walk. When life events are really bothering me, I get outside. Sometimes I walk around my property. Other times, I just find a big rock, sit down and watch the Canadian geese and eagles fly overhead. Being outside clears my mind and helps me focus and hear my thoughts.

There will always be something in our lives that pulls us in and makes us disconnect from ourselves. The above is just three examples for quieting the noise to hear your own thoughts, but there are many others. It’s our duty to find our way back and listen.

My question for you: In what other ways do you find to reconnect and hear your inner voice? I’d love to hear about them.

Mary

P.S. Below is my weekly quote, and a couple of pictures of my quiet places I reconnect.