Rhonda asks:

When I first started trying to connect with my spiritual guidance, I found it telling me quite a disturbing thing - that I didn't have long to live. Upon pressing for more detail, it told me that I had just days to live. Upon further questioning it told me that I would actually die on Saturday. (A couple of months ago now - I have survived to tell the tale!) As Saturday approached, and my anxiety grew and my spiritual guidance assured me that it had only said this to jolt me into action to decide why exactly I wanted to live and that I wasn't actually going to die. Now I'm afraid of connecting with my spiritual guidance because I found that experience quite traumatic. Was that my spiritual guidance talking? Is that how spirit operates?

No Rhonda, that is not how spirit operates at all. That is how the wounded self, masking as spirit, operates. Spirit never tells us things that scare us and would never try to 'jolt' you into action. Whenever you hear something that scares you, you need to know that it is your wounded self, making things up to try to control something.

What kinds of things does our guidance tell us?

My experience with my guidance is that she never imposes anything on me. She answers my questions in a way that makes me feel calm and peaceful rather than scared. She never tests me and she would never tell me disturbing things or try to jolt me. She is unconditionally kind, caring, comforting, supportive, wise, compassionate, loving and powerful. I would not know how to live my life without her.  

Jennifer asks:

I attempt to communicate with my higher guidance every day, but how can I be sure that what is being relayed to me isn't just my own ego?

We have been blessed with a fail–safe system of knowing what is right and true for us. Part of our soul exists within our body and communicates through our feelings – this is our inner child. The rest of our huge soul is all around us and communicates through thought and images that we receive when we are open to learning.

Imagine your soul as a huge bright energy – a spark of the Divine-that-is-Love. Imagine that your body exists within this energy and this energy exists within your body. Often, when I'm preparing to do my morning Inner Bonding process, I say, "I am within Love and Love is within me. I am within the Universe and the Universe is within me. I am within God and God is within me." This helps me to feel centered and connected with my source.

When I receive a thought or image, I check in with my feelings to see if it feels right. When it does feel right, then I know it is from my guidance. If something about it doesn't feel right, then I'm suspicious that it is coming from my ego wounded self. I keep staying open, asking my guidance for clarity. When the thoughts and images I receive line up with what feels right inside, then I know I am on the right track.

It's staying in touch with our feelings that lets us know when we are on or off track. When we feel peaceful and full of love inside, we know that we are taking loving care of ourselves. When we feel anxious, depressed, angry, shamed or jealous, we know we are abandoning ourselves. Our guidance is here to guide us in what is loving to ourselves – this is what our guidance is here for. This is what our guidance tells us – what is loving to ourselves and others.

Join Dr. Margaret Paul for her 30-Day at-home Course: "Love Yourself: An Inner Bonding Experience to Heal Anxiety, Depression, Shame, Addictions and Relationships."

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