Written by: Patrick Batson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Have you ever agreed with someone even though you questioned their wisdom or integrity? Have you ever gone along with something even though you doubted its correctness? Of course, you have. You’re human, you’ve probably survived adolescence, and you live in an age when “influencer” is a job title.
We are easily influenced
The less obvious question is, “How often do you allow other people’s opinions and behaviors to influence yours?” Most people will say, “Not that much. I’m my own person, and I think for myself.”
We all like to believe that, even though a host of prominent studies in social psychology clearly illustrate how easily influenced we are. Not that we need science to prove what common sense already knows.
Advertising, political parties, religions, the Kardashians, and conspiracy groups like QAnon wouldn’t capture anyone’s attention if we weren’t all actively looking for something to believe in.
Knowing how suggestable we are, the question becomes whether the external influences align with our personal truth—our understanding of who we are and what we value in their absence. Our personal truth is the wellspring of our intuition—the place from which our still small voice speaks. Some call it our “internal guidance system”.
Influences can overtake our sense of self
We live in an age of incredible creativity and innovation. With that comes an unprecedented identification with external objects, experiences, and personalities. Many of these can be quite rewarding, bringing us personal growth, new perspectives, and good old-fashioned fun. Personally, I love trying new recipes, rock climbing, watching sci-fi, and learning everything I can about my favorite musicians (currently obsessed with Jeff Beck).
But it can also be challenging to keep external options and influences from completely overtaking our sense of self. We can gauge that by asking ourselves, “Would I feel happy and fulfilled if I didn’t have this object, experience, person, or influence in my life?” If the answer is anything other than a clear “yes,” then we know we’ve given up at least some understanding of who we truly are to an external influence.
Slow down and listen to discover your personal truth
How can we learn to distinguish between our truth and someone else’s? It’s simple, but it requires practice.
Here are some important steps:
Slow your life down. Do everything just a little bit slower. You’ll find that this simple practice immediately makes you more conscious of what you’re doing and why you are doing it. It may even cause you to question whether you want to do it.
Pause before responding. When someone asks you a question, give yourself a moment before you respond. In many cases, you will respond differently than if you had blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Allowing this grace of space enables a deeper connection with your higher mind—the part of you that knows you are already complete.
Allow your intuition to guide you. When you engage with a potential influence through a conversation, the media, or an advertisement, take a deep breath into your heart center and ask yourself, “Is this my truth?” Then listen. The answer may come as a feeling of energy moving up or down, a voice in your mind, or a visual image. If the response is anything other than a clear “yes”, then take another moment and ask yourself, “What is my truth?” Again, patiently breathe into your heart center and listen. You may discover a different opinion, preference, or desire that you were not previously in touch with.
These simple practices will help you move from a reactive to a proactive response to any external influence. And your responses will be more aligned with your own personal truth. They require patience and conscious effort at first. But as with anything, the more you practice, the easier it gets.
Soon you will feel a greater sense of control over your life experience. You will start tapping your inner guidance without any thought or effort. When that happens, you will naturally experience more joy and fulfillment without the need for external influences. Of course, you will still choose to engage with many of them, but you will do so from a place of self-awareness and personal sovereignty. And that is the most powerful place from which to choose.
Try it for yourself and watch what happens!
Patrick Batson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Patrick assists people on their journey of awakening to higher consciousness. Drawing upon decades of study and practice of Spiritual wisdom, as well as executive-level management and modern family life, Patrick serves as a guide for bridging the physical and Spiritual worlds. He has authored two books and publishes a monthly blog of channeled content on topics common to the human experience, as observed from the perspective of the Higher Self. Through his healing practice, Patrick helps clients connect with their Higher Mind. By bringing unconscious, limiting beliefs into alignment with the Higher Mind's vision of wholeness and abundance, clients are able to amplify and accelerate positive life changes.
