The High Vibe Guide

43. The Dance Between Fear and Intuition: Unraveling Your Inner Voice

• Jenna Miller • Season 1 • Episode 43

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In this episode, we explore how to distinguish between the voice of fear and the voice of true intuition. While fear often disguises itself as intuition to keep us in our comfort zones, understanding the difference can be life-changing. We’ll dive into why fear speaks through the ego, how to recognise its limiting patterns, and ways to connect more deeply with our authentic intuition - empowering you to make choices from a place of inner clarity, not anxiety. 

Tune in to learn how to tune out fear and trust your inner guidance!

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the High Vibe Guide, the podcast where I demystify the concept of raising our vibration. I'm Jenna, a yoga teacher, mum of three and passionate advocate for helping others to just feel happier. Let me explain to you how we can all live more contented and fulfilled lives, and how it's so much easier than you think. Hello, hello, hello and welcome back to the High Vi guide. I'm feeling a little I don't know if off center is the right word. I'm sat not in my original recording place. That's why my husband is relaying our patio today, something we started about seven months ago, doi the joys. But he's back at it today and I normally sit. I've got this little corner I set up in my living room but all I can hear is the tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap on the patio tiles. So I've moved into the playroom and I've kind of made a little nest for myself. So I'm just trying to settle into the space. Really that today, from my playroom it's my kids playroom, not like a 50 shades thing, by the way Probably feel I need to emphasise that I would like to talk about something that I firmly believe we've all grappled with at one point or another. I think this is part of human nature and it's something that I feel I'm just starting to get the hang of, something I didn't really even know existed or was going on, I'd say, this time last year. And it's this Distinguishing between the voice of fear and our intuition. And I know it's come up before on the High Vibe Guide, but I feel that it needs a little bit more attention and a little bit more explanation, because my aim on here is to reach all of those people that felt how I did, how I used to, lost in the thoughts and the emotions, so consumed by them, unable to remove myself from them and allowing life to keep happening to me, with no sense of self-power or self-belief and with no awareness that that was even going on. I didn't know things could be different. So, guys, let me touch on this a little bit more today and hopefully provide you with a little bit more clarity on what might be going on inside when we hear that voice talking to us.

Speaker 1:

And we all know what that fear-based voice sounds like, don't we? Because it normally arises after some kind of inspired idea or maybe some call to action that might initially feel exciting, but then that voice chirps in and says I can't do that, what if it doesn't work? What if I fail? What if I make a complete fool of myself? And sometimes that voice comes in loudly, and sometimes it comes in softly and whispers to you. And it's here that the fear-based voice often disguises itself as intuition, like your gut, your intuitive voice talking to you warning us not to take certain risks.

Speaker 1:

But the fear-based voice comes from our ego, and the ego is a fundamental part of our psyche, but it can sometimes play tricks on us, and it's a very important part of the psyche, but we need to understand more about its purpose, its origin and how it works with other parts of the psyche, so that we can then better understand where it's coming from and then ultimately decide whether we want or need to listen to it, because, remember, thoughts are not facts. That voice in your head doesn't always speak the truth. So we need to take a step back, take a little time to decide whether we take its advice. So let's start by defining what we mean by the ego, because it's a word that we've all heard of and the term ego gets tossed around a lot, doesn't it? But, in psychological terms, around a lot, doesn't it? But in psychological terms, it's actually only one part of the three part model of the mind and that was introduced by Freud. So that three part model.

Speaker 1:

You have the id, the ego and the superego, and each of these has its own unique role. Now, the id is that primal part of us. It's all about primal desires and basic needs. So think of it as the I want, I need part of us. It seeks pleasure and avoids pain, often with no regard for the consequences. The superego, this part, represents our moral compass. It's like our inner parent, almost constantly guiding us towards what's considered right or responsible or socially acceptable, acceptable. And the ego acts as kind of like a mediator between the id, that basic primal I want, I need and the superego, and it's constantly balancing these primal desires from the id and the social expectations and values that we have with the superego. So the ego is essentially the part of you that interacts with the outside world and makes decisions about how to act based on what's going on inside.

Speaker 1:

So why does the ego's voice often sound like fear? And I think it's because the ego's main job is protection, it's to keep us safe. It wants us to avoid pain, rejection and failure, which comes from the id, you know, while also trying to work with the superego and do the right thing, be a good person. So in doing so it often creates a cautious, kind of protected voice, protective voice. Sorry that, while well-intentioned, it can sound a lot like fear. Well, well-intentioned, it can sound a lot like fear, and the ego convinces us that by staying in our comfort zone we avoid threats or discomfort. And when we're about to make a big decision, something that might take us outside of our comfort zone, the ego then chimes in with all these fear-based thoughts.

Speaker 1:

Own the ego then chimes in with all these fear-based thoughts, and it can sometimes be disguised as intuition, like I said before, such as what if I fail? Or this just doesn't feel right somehow, or I'm not ready yet, I need to prepare more. How many of us have felt that way? I'm not ready yet to prepare more? How many of us have felt that way? I'm not ready yet? Or what if I fail? But you see how the ego's voice can easily feel like intuition, because often it's subtle, coming in as this soft, almost kind of cautionary nudge rather than a blatant fear response. And when it does come in, all guns blaring as a blatant fear response. We can also see how that might feel like intuition. It's saying no, something inside of me is screaming at me. This is not right. We need to listen to it. That can feel like intuition too, but this is where we need to develop the ability to discern between the two.

Speaker 1:

So how do we recognise when the ego's holding us back from growth? And while the ego is essential for maintaining our well-being, it has a very important role, like when it comes to setting boundaries for ourselves or recognising our limits or preventing us from dangerous physical risks, or even speaking up for yourself. But it's also very important to recognise when it's limiting us, limiting us. So when we listen solely to the ego, we may hesitate to try new things, we'll probably avoid taking risks or we might kind of feel constant doubt about our abilities. It's gone into overdrive, this protective mode, and over time this can just lead to a really stagnant, unfulfilled life when we remain in the comfort zone, all you know, seemingly happy and safe, but we're never going to reach our full potential. So the trick is to observe these moments when fear steps in, because you start to realise that observation is the key to so many things.

Speaker 1:

When we start doing the personal work, the real work, the growth, observation is key. Observation without judgment or criticism or expectation. It's where we need to ask ourselves is this really my intuition warning me of danger, or is it my ego trying to keep me safe by keeping me small? That's a really important question to ask. It's important to know that this voice can be coming possibly from the ego or possibly from the intuition. We have to just sit with that for a moment and contemplate whether the ego is talking to me to keep me safe by keeping me small. And it's this little bit of observation and analysis that kind of stops the message in its tracks and you can gain a little bit of space for that little bit of perspective. It's in the separation, this separation between the self and the thoughts, that we find clarity.

Speaker 1:

So how do we differentiate intuition from the ego-based fear? How do we go about doing that? And I have a few tips here for learning to distinguish between your intuition and the ego fear. So firstly, tune in to the tone of the feeling, the voice, the thought, however it comes up for you. Listen to the tone because you'll start to realise that if it's coming from ego and it's ego-based fear, it tends to have a kind of panicky, doubtful feel about it, even when it's quiet and kind of just whispering to you, while intuition tends to feel calm and steady, even in the face of something scary. There's a kind of a just this calmness there, and true intuition doesn't need to shout to get your attention. Sometimes it's like a burning ember, you know. But secondly, check for limitations versus possibilities. So what I mean by this? If the voice is trying to limit you or prevent you from growing, it's likely the ego.

Speaker 1:

Intuition, on the other hand, encourages growth while also gently guiding you. Intuition has a way of making you feel heard when you feel scared, but also saying it's okay, I know it's scary, but we've got this, I've got you, let's go. And another tip is to observe the physical response, and I've spoken about this before in my episode about how to know when you're making the right decision. But intuitive feelings tend to have this light, almost expansive feeling, even when they're guiding us away from something. And fear-based reactions, however, might bring more of a tightening in the chest or an increased heart rate or a feeling of dread. There's a contractive feeling, there's a contraction there. I've also found that you might need to sleep on it for a day or two, as the true feeling behind that voice shines through clearer, maybe after a night or two, or one voice fades away and another starts to show itself.

Speaker 1:

So these practices, particularly the compassionate kind of stepping back and gently observing the situation in your mind, gently challenging it, it allows us to tune in more accurately and acknowledge when it's actually fear that's taking over, enabling us to make clearer and more empowered decisions. So we need to learn to work with the ego instead of against it because, like I said, the ego is, it's not, it's just doing its job, and it's very important for us a lot of the time. So the goal is never to silence the ego or to defeat it, not to suppress it. It's to develop a balanced relationship with it. When we can understand the ego's motives, we can then thank it for its concern, but make choices from a more aware conscious place.

Speaker 1:

And a helpful practice I found is to acknowledge the ego's voice when it comes up, just like when we're in meditation and we're trying to bring our awareness to something inside, like the breath or the body, and thoughts come up. We always acknowledge them, always. So, when the ego's voice comes up, acknowledge it and let it know that you really do appreciate its attempt to protect you, but that you're capable of handling whatever comes your way, because you are guys you are. And what this approach does it? It lets the ego feel seen, without letting it then dominate your actions. Because if we fully suppress the ego, I mean that ain't good. Just like when we suppress anything, we'll store it deep down in the body, in the mind. We never fully process and move through it and let it pass. So you're just loading up the sandbags which will continue to weigh you down throughout life. So it's all in learning to separate the voice of ego-based fear and the voice of intuition, and it's a journey that takes real patience and self-awareness. And if you're really struggling in the beginning, that's, that's okay.

Speaker 1:

Like I said, if someone was trying to explain this to me a year ago, there would have been no resonation there, whatsoever, whatsoever. It wouldn't have made any sense. I couldn't relate to it at all. But the fact that you're here listening to me, that you've even pressed play, if you're still here listening to me now at this point in the episode, you have some awareness to it, you have some openness to this. So just start by observing, being curious about what's going on inside your mind. That's what I found is key. It's awareness and an openness to explore without being scared of what you're going to find.

Speaker 1:

So imagine it's like your child or your best friend in the entire world. You have to treat yourself that way. Imagine it's like your child or your best friend in the entire world. You have to treat yourself that way Because, if something horrible comes up, you're not going to not love them anymore. You're not going to suddenly disown them or hate them. You're just going to feel all the compassion and want to help. How can we come through this? So start talking to yourself that way. That's the way you're going to get through it. But it's understanding that the ego's main role is protection, not intuitive guidance. That is not what the ego's role is. That's not its job. When we understand this, that the ego is just trying to protect us, we can gradually stop letting fear-based thoughts control our lives and instead make room for that quieter and instead make room for that quieter guiding voice of intuition. And I think I'm going to leave you with that.

Speaker 1:

Today, guys, I've kind of naturally fallen into this new pattern of slightly shorter episodes, and I hope that you're enjoying this as well, not to say they might pick up later. I've got some really interesting guests appearances coming later this year. It's all scheduled, all planned. I'm really excited for you guys to hear it. But today, my hope is that this discussion has inspired you, even just a little bit, to start noticing these voices within yourself, inviting you to grow beyond your comfort zone growth doesn't happen in the comfort zone and to trust your own inner wisdom, because true growth only happens when we do the work, and the work is not always fun.

Speaker 1:

The work is not always pretty, and part of that is when we step outside of fear and learn to lean into our intuition. But yeah, that's a journey, and be kind to yourselves on this journey. It can take time and it can take patience, but I wholeheartedly believe that you've got this. Remember if I can do it, then there is no reason why you can't too. Thanks, guys. I'll see you back here next week, next week. Thank you all so much for tuning in. If you enjoyed today's episode, please share with your friends and family to continue spreading that positivity. You can find me on Instagram at thehighvibeguide. Get in touch. I would love to hear from you. Thank you all so much for listening and I'll see you back here next time at the High Five Guide.