In quite a few comedy movies you often see a person with a tiny devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. The person is usually conflicted about which to listen to, and the audience laughs at the silly struggle.

This theme of the two dueling forces within us has come up a lot lately. I can’t seem to escape it; it’s in every movie I watch and every book, I read. I felt compelled to explore what it means to me and how it works in my life, so here we go!

Ego

For most of my life, I have been listening to the deafening, extremely negative and super destructive voice of my ego. It tells me that I am not good enough, that I am weak, it scolds and judges my every decision and holds me back from things I want to do. It keeps me locked in fear when I want to break out in joy. This voice has been dominant my entire life, and I am working very hard to change that. There is a quieter, softer and more loving voice that I could never hear before, but now I hear it all the time, now that I have learned how to slow down and listen.

Spirit/Higher Self

The other day I was experiencing a particularly fear-filled day. In the space of about ten minutes, my mind rained down upon me, a barrage of negative, scary and hurtful thoughts. I am so grateful to have become consciously aware of this voice and at that moment, ask for help. Suddenly, there was a different voice in my head, and it said: “you are perfect as you are, and I love you very much.”

This powerful, loving statement calmed my fears and brought a deep peace to my heart. In that instant, everything changed for me, my whole day became lighter and free of fear. Without this other voice to turn to, life would be very challenging.

Feel Your Way Through the Choice

I watched a Gabby Bernstein video yesterday, and she talked about this very same topic, how to know when the right voice is guiding you. She made it pretty easy. The voice of our ego is not always so obvious, sometimes it can be devious, and we don’t know which voice is directing our actions.

She said to tap into your feelings. If you “feel” a sense of peace, calm and that you are on the right path, then you are listening to your spiritual guides and your higher self. If you feel fear (in any of its forms – insecurity, judgment, arrogance, envy, greed, etc.) then you are listening to your ego. So take a step back, a deep breath and listen again for the quieter, kinder voice of love instead.

“A Course in Miracles,” says whenever you perceive that you are under attack, that is your ego talking. You cannot actually be harmed in any real way since we are sentient beings with many lives left to live. If you can instead, view your fellow man with compassion, understanding, and kindness, then a loving exchange may occur instead of an attack and then retaliation. Admittedly, not an easy thing to do in the moment, but with some practice, it gets easier.

Be Strong and True and Always Choose Love Over Fear

There are only two primary emotions in the human condition, love, and fear (both in their many forms). If we were always, in every circumstance and situation to choose to act with love, there would be no war, no conflict, and no issue of any kind. When we decide to act with love, we are choosing to align ourselves with God/The Universe and our higher, best self. When we choose to act with fear, we are listening to that “little devil” on our shoulder, the ego and we might want to choose differently for a better, more positive outcome for everyone.

It is ALWAYS our choice. In every interaction with another person, every situation, we can decide which voice to listen to and how to act. I choose love to run my life, how about you?