Did you ever question, “Is this message coming from my angels or am I just making it up?” This experience is very natural. The first step in discernment is to learn to distinguish between your ego’s (or your personality’s) voice versus the voice of divine guidance. As you discover the distinct difference between the two, you can choose to follow the voice of divine guidance, which will always lead you to the best possible outcome.
The Ego
The ego is that part of your personality that sees itself separate from God. The ego self reacts and makes decisions based on your history: past experiences, beliefs gathered over time, and your emotions. It usually wants to be in control and it focuses on fear. Some people refer to the ego as “easing God out.”
When you start listening and noticing the difference between the ego’s voice and the voice of divine guidance, you will realize that one comes from a place of fear and the other comes from love. The best thing you can do is learn the difference between the two. Your angels will remind you over and over again that your ego is separate from your divine self. Yet you live in your human body, which has an ego and a history from all your past experiences. Make the choice now to become a witness to your ego. Notice when your ego is focusing on fear or making decisions based on fear. Then turn to the loving guidance of the angels and ask them to help you transform the effects of fear in your life.
A simple way to discern your ego from God is to ask yourself, “Are my thoughts coming from a place of fear or love?” God and the angels only communicate with love.
Your ego, or some call it “the lower self,” does not focus on love. It sees a fearful world and it does not want to admit that it’s afraid. The ego sends messages of worry, confusion, insecurity, and it certainly doesn’t want you to trust yourself. It doesn’t want you to feel confident, self-assured, or strong because it can no longer control your actions.
Remember, the ego is not bad, it’s just afraid. You can gain some valuable wisdom by paying attention to this lower voice. Don’t judge yourself for any past mistakes you’ve made from following the voice of your ego, just grow from it. Once you can discern and understand the messages coming from your ego, you have the power to choose differently. Consider this information your gems of wisdom to use in the future to live a better life.
The best thing you can do is learn the difference between the thoughts and feelings coming from your ego versus divine guidance. Begin practicing by learning some of the characteristics of your ego:
- Your ego is judgmental.
- Your ego is critical.
- Your ego is indecisive.
- Your ego procrastinates.
- Your ego is impatient.
- Your ego likes to control.
- Your ego is fearful.
- Your ego says you’re unworthy and undeserving.
- Your ego is competitive.
As you witness your thoughts, notice if they hold any of these characteristics. Then choose to recognize your ego and turn your attention to focus on the positive, loving thoughts of the angels. Don’t beat yourself up for having these thoughts. Simply say, “Here my ego goes again,” and choose to take your power back.
The Angels’ Guidance
The voice of divine guidance always comes from a place of love. It will never lead you down a path of pain or chaos. The voice of divine guidance will ask you to follow your heart and to believe in your dreams and desires. Messages from the angels are always positive, helpful, healing, and supportive. The angels will always encourage you and provide you with the trust and confidence you need to follow your heart. In simple terms, the voice of divine guidance is always the voice of love.
When you hear the voice of your angels it sounds like this:
- You are good enough right now.
- Follow your heart.
- Believe in yourself.
- You can do anything if you believe.
- You are never alone and you are so loved.
- You are right where you are meant to be.
- You deserve the best.
- Be patient; all is well.
- There is more than enough to go around.
Just notice how it feels when you read these words. Imagine if you listened to that voice more often. Your confidence and self-esteem would increase, you would trust yourself more, and you would believe in yourself so you could follow your heart and live your dreams. Isn’t it worth taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to your angels’ guidance?
The Ego’s Guidance
You are probably more used to following the guidance of your ego versus the angels. It is only natural that this would happen because your ego makes choices and takes action based on your past memories and the feelings that were experienced from those memories. For example, if you are looking to invest in a course that will guide you further down your spiritual path but you’re tight in finances, your ego’s voice might mirror what your mother used to say: “Don’t waste your money on silly stuff like that!” Then fear sets in and you might hold yourself back from an opportunity.
Here are some sample questions from someone asking for guidance. Pay attention to the voice of the ego and notice how you feel after you read the response.
- I just got a great idea about writing a book and I am curious what my next step is?
- Ego’s response: Who do you think you are? You can’t do that, you’re not an expert.
- I just met this new guy. Is he the right one for me?
- Ego’s response: He might be like the rest. Be careful because you might get hurt.
- I want to leave my job and start my own business. What should I do?
- Ego’s response: What is everyone going to think? You should stay right where you are; it’s safe.
- I am so mad at my sister. How can I make peace with her?
- Ego’s response: It’s her fault. Wait till she apologizes.
- I have been so stressed out at work. What can I do?
- Ego’s response: Just remember, if you don’t work hard you might not succeed.
Notice how the ego can be critical, judgmental, afraid, cautious, and blaming. Do you want this voice influencing your choices and decisions? If this voice feels familiar to you, choose to recognize it and then tune into a different channel so you can hear the voice of the angels.
Following Divine Guidance
The more you can practice discernment when listening to the voice of your ego versus the voice of your angels, the more you can trust yourself and the messages you are receiving. Building trust with the angels is like taking a journey back home to God where you can experience peace, ease, and grace.
Awareness is a wonderful gift. Once you realize your ego is controlling your thoughts and actions, you have the power to choose differently. Recognize it and then turn your attention to the angels so they can give you guidance and direction from a higher place of love.
Now review below the same questions that the ego answered and notice how the angels respond.
Pay attention to how you feel as you read the answer.
- I just got a great idea about writing a book and I am curious what my next step is?
- Angels’ response: Believe in yourself. Let your ideas flow onto the paper and see how it unfolds.
- I just met this new guy. Is he the right one for me?
- Angels’ response: Notice how you feel when you are with him and take one day at a time. We are with you.
- I want to leave my job and start my own business. What should I do?
- Angels’ response: Follow your heart. You will have everything you need as long as you believe.
- I am so mad at my sister. How can I make peace with her?
- Angels’ response: Practice forgiveness and pray for peace.
- I have been so stressed out at work. What can I do?
- Angels’ response: Take some deep breaths during the day. Know you are doing the best job you can and give us your worries.
When you read the answer to these questions you possibly feel comforted, reassured, encouraged, and peaceful, and you may even experience a feeling that you are not alone in your challenges. This is the love of the angels and this is how they would guide you if you asked for help.
When the Ego Interferes with the Voice of Divine Guidance
You are becoming more knowledgeable and you are learning to discern the difference between the lower self’s voice and the voice of divine guidance. With practice, you will begin to trust yourself and your angels. With this renewed trust you will follow the voice of divine guidance and you will take action accordingly. When this happens, don’t be surprised if your ego’s voice gets stronger. It will want to interfere and hold you back from further joy, happiness, and confidence.
A great example of this would be you’ve consulted with your angels about changing careers and you feel confident about following your passion and pursing a job in photography. You have received validation from your angels and you’ve experienced synchronistic events confirming your decision. You start the process of looking for possible job opportunities and, right then, the ego’s voice kicks in and gets stronger. It says, “Who do you think you are?” “You don’t have enough experience.” “You’ll never make enough money to support yourself.”
The question is, now what do you do? Take a time-out. Sit in contemplation and ask yourself, “Where is this voice coming from, a place of love or fear?” Then sit with your angels and ask for divine guidance and the support and courage to follow it. Divine guidance will always be consistent, it will never waiver from the truth and the best possible outcome. Ask the angels for continued confirmation that you are on the right path and practice ignoring the voice of the ego.
Simplified Fear Versus Love
It’s easier than you think. When simplified, the ego is fear and the angels are love. An easy way to discern where your guidance is coming from is to reflect on this question: “Is what I am hearing or feeling coming from a place of love or fear?” The angels only answer your prayers from love.
In Karen Paolino’s first book What Would Love Do? Live a Life Guided by the Miracles of Love, the participant spends forty days asking the simple question: “What would love do?” She discovered that this simple, yet powerful, question can empower her to make choices and decisions based on love versus fear. It can create transformation and positive change in every aspect of her life. Throughout the book there are miraculous stories of people who received answers of divine guidance by asking this simple question. It proves that anyone can receive messages of divine guidance if they only ask, listen, and discern.
Another way to understand the ego is to look at the word “fear” in the following way: F.E.A.R, False Evidence Appearing Real. Think about it. Many times you are feeling fear in a given moment and you can’t justify where the feeling of fear is coming from. The next time you are afraid, ask yourself, “Is this real?”
When you want to hear the answer of divine guidance for yourself, ask the simple questions, “What would love do?” or “What would love say?” If you want to understand how the ego would answer your question, ask the simple question, “What would fear do?” or “What would fear say?”
Exercise
Here is an exercise to practice discerning the voice of fear versus love:
On a piece of paper, write two questions you would like the angels to answer. Leave enough space between the questions so you can write your answers.
Now look at your first question and ask yourself and respond to the questions, “What would fear do?” or “What would fear say?” Write your answer down.
Now take a deep breath and let that go. Read the same question again and ask yourself and respond to the questions, “What would love do?” or “What would love say?” Write the answer down.
Repeat the same steps for your other question.
Look at your answers and ask yourself, “Which answer feels better and which do I choose to follow?”
The more you can practice this simple question, the more you will discover that you can find the divine answer to any question. It is that simple.
Reflection Time
To continue learning about the difference between the voice of your ego (fear) and the voice of divine guidance (love), take some time for reflection. Get your journal or a piece of paper and first, write down a time in your life when you listened and acted upon the voice of your ego (fear). You might have felt confused about making your decision or maybe you felt a tightness, or knot, in the pit of your stomach. You didn’t have a good feeling about it, you ignored your feelings and you acted against your intuition. What was the outcome of your decision and how did it feel?
Next, reflect on a situation in your life when you listened to your intuition and it came from the higher voice of love or divine guidance. In this circumstance, your decision was based on following your heart or maybe you just had a good feeling about something or someone and you acted on it. Everything fell into place with this decision. What was the outcome and how did it feel?
When you follow the ego’s path you will experience indecision, confusion, and sometimes chaos. It may feel like a rollercoaster ride. You might experience resistance from others or your actions along the way may feel blocked, as if you keep hitting detours in the road. Pay attention to your thoughts and if you feel stress, procrastination, or any other uneasy feelings, you are on the path of your ego.
Your ego is smart and sly like a fox. When you start listening to the angels and you follow their guidance, the ego will try to step in and change your mind with thoughts of fear, doubt, and insecurity. When this happens, recognize it and ask the angels for reassurance. Ask them to help you tune into the messages of love versus the messages of fear.
When you follow the path of divine guidance everything falls into place. You experience magic, synchronicity, and everything you need appears with ease. You feel peaceful, excited, and inspired. You have this inner knowing to keep moving forward, you trust you’re not alone, and you know everything’s going to work out.
The key is to recognize and feel the difference between the two paths. Once you have this discernment, you feel empowered with wisdom to choose the path of least resistance. The path of love and divine guidance will always lead you to a better place.
Surrender Your Fears
Do you now understand how powerful the ego is and how long fear has been controlling you and playing havoc in your life? Are you ready to release yourself from its control? If you are, ask the angels to help you. You don’t have to figure out how they’re going to do it, just surrender your fears to them. Simply say, “I release and surrender my fears to the angels. Show me the path of love.”
Every time you release fear and replace it with love, the pathways of divine guidance become clear and open. A great analogy to better understand this is: you turn on the radio and you want to listen to your favorite station. You experience static as you turn the dial to find your station, this is fear. When you ask the angels to release your conscious or unconscious fears, the static clears and you can easily “tune in” to your favorite station, where you can enjoy hearing the voices of the angels.
Everyone has conscious and unconscious fear. It’s important to surrender both to the angels. The fear in your unconscious mind also has control over you. You unconsciously make decisions and take action from this part of your mind. The angels know you inside and out and they can heal all fears if you ask them.
Exercise
Bring some paper and a pen to a quiet peaceful place where you can commune with your angels. Share with them that you would like their help and you are open to healing. Then on the top of one piece of paper write, “Please, angels, release me from the following fears. I surrender these and any unconscious fears to be healed by God.” Then just list all your fears both small and big. Take your time and just keep writing until you feel complete.
Then take out a second sheet of paper and write at the top, “Help me to feel and experience the following:” On this sheet of paper you want to transform and list all the experiences and feelings you desire instead of the fear. For example, instead of fear you want trust, instead of confusion you want clarity, and instead of insecurity you desire confidence. Note that everything on your new sheet should reflect the positive nature of what you want to experience.
When this list feels complete, surrender it to the angels and continue to ask for their loving support and assistance. If you choose, you can also do a ritual releasement. This is a powerful technique where you burn your piece of paper in a pan or in a barbecue outdoors. Or you can simply drown your piece of paper in a bowl. Both of these rituals symbolize a powerful clear intention that you are ready to let it go.
Keep your piece of paper with your new desires and intentions for transformation in a sacred place. Every once in a while look at them and ask the angels to help you. Imagine the angels surrounding you and empowering you with their unconditional love. Then imagine your desired outcome and focus on the feeling you will experience when your new intentions have come to fruition.
Remember, it doesn’t matter how you surrender your fears. Just affirm that you are ready to let them go. The angels know who you are and what you need. Your job is to believe and to trust with faith that they can heal and transform your fears into miracles of love.
The lessons in this chapter are very important. As you learn and practice this valuable information, you will clearly know the difference between the voice of divine guidance and the voice of the ego. With this knowledge comes power. You will be open to hear and receive messages of divine guidance and you will have the confidence to act upon them with faith and trust.
