What voice have you been trained to listen to?

The external voice of teachers, parents, authority figures and those around you?  Or the inner voice of your Sovereign Leadership?

Voice of Inner Guidance

If you are anything like me, you are well trained in listening to the external voices.  Those generally well-meaning people who told, ordered, scolded, insisted, demanded, asserted, persuaded or coerced you to do what they wanted you to do.

And, like me, you probably fought against those voices at certain times in your life.  As if an inner knowing was stronger than those external voices.  So, you made a stand, you dug your heals in, you went against the grain.

But somehow, these external voices have a way of quelling that inner voice.  So that you stop listening to the inner guidance and instead take your lead from the external authority figures of your life.

The Inner Voice Suppressed

One such period in my life was my Bar Mitzvah.  At thirteen years of age, Jewish boys mark their transition into taking on religious adult responsibilities with this ritual and ceremony.  It takes years to prepare for.  And I fought it every step of the way.  But people kept telling me that I had to do it.  That it was my duty and that it was expected of me.  And in the end, I acquiesced.  It was too hard to keep fighting.  I dutifully did what I was told to do.  I threw myself into it.  Told myself this was what I wanted and that I enjoyed it.

And once I had jumped through all the hoops demanded of me, once I was a “man” in the traditional Jewish sense, I took my first action as a “man” and walked out. I left the party my family had thrown for me and the religion.  And never returned.

I remember walking home from that party so confused.  I had no sense of why I had taken this dramatic step.  Something inside of me had taken back control and authority and I was in a position to be able to exercise that authority.  So, I did.

The Voice of Sovereign Leadership

Fast forward forty years, I have a better understanding.  In that moment, I was owning my Sovereign Leadership.  I felt the empowerment of taking responsibility for my life.  I listened to the inner voice that had my best interests at heart.  Rather than listen to those that were doing what they thought was right for me.

And this, I believe, is the crux of the challenge.  There are these traditions and norms we feel obliged to follow that go against our inner knowing.  Structures that come from a different time and do not evolve as individuals and societies want to evolve. Such as religious beliefs, political views, environmental issues, socially acceptable behaviours, job roles, our relationship with money and material things, status and so on.  These rigid structures are often going to be at odds with the Sovereign authority of the individual that is fluid and endlessly evolving.

Trusting the Inner Voice

Of course, we need to live in a peaceful and cohesive society.  And agreed social structures are an important part of that.  But, where these structures dominate and suppress individual growth and development, it leads to people not trusting their inner voice and giving away their sovereignty to an external source.

What I find so fascinating about my Barmitzvah journey, is how supressed and constricted I felt in it.  I made myself smaller so that I could fit inside the pigeon-holes created for me.  As a result, I felt confined, fearful and so anxious.  Anxious, I believe, because I was disconnected from who I truly am, the Sovereign within.  My younger self made a stand for my inner sovereignty.  And every time I have done that, it reaffirms the relationship I have with my inner Sovereign.  It has built up over time to become a consistent and positive force in my life that I can use daily to guide my thoughts and actions.

No longer towing the line

This contrast is at the heart of Sovereign Leadership.  To notice the patterns of behaviour that diminish us and lead to the body and mind becoming smaller, restricted and limited.  Compared to embodying the inner Sovereign, which feels expansive and has us walk through life with dignity, aligned to our values, in integrity and with love of self and others.

Sovereign Leadership has been my personal journey.  As I talk to more people, I am coming to realise Sovereign Leadership is a journey that resonates for many people.  So often, we give up what we want and know to be right for us, because we are told to “tow the line” or “not rock the boat”.  We ignore that inner voice to our detriment.

But what gives me hope is that the Sovereign Leadership voice NEVER stops.  It is always there, championing, supporting, guiding and calling us to our fullest authentic potential and expression.

Over to You

Where in your life have you ignored or listened to your Sovereign Leadership?  How did it feel in your body?  What was the impact?  I’d love to know your stories and experiences with your inner voice.  Please share in the comments or if you prefer, please e-mail me at david@potentialitycoaching.co.uk

Pass it on

What are you hearing in this blog for you?  What are you taking away?  Can you think of someone who might benefit from the same insights and perspectives.  If so, please share this blog with them and spread the love.