By Sarah A. Sparks
A woman is walking along a dark pathway, unable to see more than a few feet in front of her. She reaches out and feels a wall. She stops. She turns to the right and proceeds onward, forward in the direction she knew she is to go. In this darkness she asks herself, “How did I know which way to go? Have I walked this pathway before? Is it a gut feeling? Again, how did I know which way to go?”
Have you ever felt like this woman? You may have turned right at a stoplight when you have always turned left to go your normal way home from work. For some reason, unbeknownst to you, you turn right. You can’t describe it, but you listened to this inner knowing, this gut feeling. Simply, you listened and then turned right. Later you find out there was a horrendous accident on your normal path home around the same time you would have been going through the intersection. Is this a coincidence or did someone, something, greater than yourself direct you to a different path?
Actually, the answer to those questions lies within you. The guidance that took you safely home is the same guidance that will help you plan your day, make the sales calls to all the perfect leads, pick out your outfit for the interview, know whether to purchase a new home or not. And the list goes on and on! The answers to your questions come from your inner guidance, your gut feeling. It is what I call your divine guidance. Your divine guidance is always working with you, through you, and for you.
At first, it may be hard to fathom that the answers lie within you and that you don’t have to ask someone outside yourself for help. Some of us are very cognitive, logical individuals. I know I was quite the over-thinker when I first realized I had access to my divine guidance. At the time, I believed I had to do research on every question before I could obtain an answer. I would look up information on the Internet, read books, and ask my family and friends for their opinions. From baby car seats, to a purple scarf, to job interviews, and even fitness programs—I asked and researched the topic to ensure I had the CORRECT answer. The interesting part of all of this is…I never asked myself, my divine guidance, for the solution, the answer.
I did not ask my divine guidance for help because I did not know how. Well…and because I didn’t trust myself, but that is a whole different topic we will discuss at a later date! It wasn’t until I was in meditation on a warm Sunday morning in January that I received the message on “how to listen to your divine guidance.” I guess Spirit was tired of me not listening! Spirit sat me down on a stoop, outside a temple in Tampa and said, “Here, Sarah, let’s keep it simple. This is how you listen to your divine guidance.”
Now I share these five simple steps with you:
1) Allow.
2) Ask.
3) Receive.
4) Trust.
6) Act.
Allow for Spirit to speak to you, through you.
Spiritually open yourself up to the Love surrounding you. Turn off all the negative, unnecessary chatter. Stop the negative self-talk. Stop the hustle and bustle. Be still and allow Spirit to work with you—to speak to you, through you.
Ask the question.
Stop jumping to conclusions. Stop making assumptions. Ask Spirit your questions. Simply ask.
Receive the information Spirit shares with you.
Listen to the answer. You may not agree with what you have been told. You don’t have to agree with what you heard. Simply receive the information by listening.
Trust the information you received came from Love and is intended for your highest and best good.
You are able to trust the information because you already set clear intentions. Before you start listening to your divine guidance state the intention, with confidence, “I allow only Love and Light to surround me, work with me, and be with me.”
Act upon the guidance you receive.
Know that action equals results. Without the action, the task isn’t complete. Look at it this way, you want your text message delivered and not stagnantly sitting in the “out box.” If you go through the work of selecting the important person to send it to, write out the text, and send it, then you want the text message to be delivered. The same goes for Spirit. When Spirit selects you, the important person, to receive a message, then Spirit would invite you to act on that message—not just leave it lying stagnant and unopened in the “inbox!”
You no longer have to worry about being on a dark path, meandering through life without direction. You have direction! You have guidance! All you have to do is: allow, ask, receive, trust, and act. You got this! I have full faith in you.
Sarah A. Sparks, MPA, is the speaker and relationship mentor for Create The Spark, LLC. Sarah has her BA in Human Resource Management, a certificate in Training: Design and Development from the University of Northern Iowa, as well as a MPA from Drake University. Sarah worked as a leader for two local governments in Iowa from 2004-2010, in the capacity of an Operations Transit Supervisor and Safety Coordinator, and as a Parks and Recreation Director. While serving these communities, Sarah mentored and trained numerous employees. Through this experience, she discovered the belief in one’s self is what limits someone from creating the life she desires. From that point onward, Sarah made it her mission to guide those who want to be mentored to create the life they desire by having the confidence and trust in themselves to make the right decision and say what they need to say, with love! Email Sarah at createthespark@gmail.com or visit www.createthespark.org.