Three ways listening helps you better understand your true SELF was a message I received on a meditative walk. When I walk, I typically have a question to ask Divine Intelligence. The question on my mind the other day was, “How can I listen more deeply to what my spirit guides are trying to tell me.”
I heard laughter. Not snickering, mind you, but rollicking laughter.
“What’s so funny?” And they said, “Nina, listen with both ears. We are always communicating with you.” Now it was my turn to laugh. I had not fully committed to the fine art of deep listening, which I know is a spiritual process that helps me initiate peaceful, harmonious dialogues.
If you are strapped for time, click here for the cliff notes, or check out my six-minute video on YouTube. Or are you eager to understand the dynamic listening style of your personality type book POWER HOUR CALL click here.
1. Exploring Fears to Better Listen and Understand the True Self
As many of you may know, I’ve gone through a pretty tough, 7-year life tsunami. Life as I knew it changed forever. I won’t go into it now but click here if you’re curious to see how my life went bonk-shit-crazy.
I want to share the life experiences that taught me valuable lessons known as soul wisdom. You, too, can gain the wisdom of the soul if you face your fears, aka shadow energy.
Fear and shadow energy show up as trauma, pain, and great suffering, hiding in plain sight; daily stress, triggers, overwhelm, and anxiety. These shadow energies are more insidious, as small fears slowly tear us apart.
Here’s the thing, we are human beings. Fear and shadow energy will always be a part of our lives. It’s how we evolve as beings. Yet it is only when we do the work, ready to fully explore these dark energies, do we reap the benefits of releasing fears and controlling ego.
My 7-year life tsunami had me face my fears, my shadow self, to stop my confusing, challenging, and chaotic life. I looked at each fear and asked, what are you here to teach me? And each time I asked, fear answered. Sometimes I wasn’t ready to hear, and other times I was shocked by what I heard.
What Shocked Me
What I thought was so ugly in another, what I judged in another, and what I found annoying in others were my own fears and shadows. I was trying to hide these ugly aspects of myself from my loved ones, and more importantly, myself. I was running from me, repressing moments of unexpressed fears:
- pain
- guilt
- shame…
Wondering how to unravel fears?
The first place to look is your personality type, specifically the Essential Self, also known as the dominant trait. It offers giant clues and ways to unlock fears to reprogram the mind. When the Essential Self is unhealthy, it’s trapped in repressed moments and unexpressed fears.
Myself as an Example
My dominant trait is extroverted intuition, which is bound to possibilities, new ideas, opportunities, creativity… When it’s imbalanced, I become overwhelmed in my quest for new possibilities. I get so busy that I don’t take time to analyze, stop and think. I skip listening to my higher self about what is best for me and others. Instead of recreating the ordinary into something extraordinary, I’ve become ignorant, arrogant, and compulsive. I’ve stopped listening to what my trait is trying to tell me. Eww!
Listening to an unbalanced personality trait is critical for self-growth. Please also realize, that both loving and fear aspects are within each trait, too. It’s why I’m adamant about everyone knowing each trait in its entirety. It’s how we attain a pure, childlike persona; playful, kind, open-minded…
When we are willing to listen to what fear is trying to teach us, we gain a deeper understanding of our personality types, allowing us to take a step closer to our nonphysical selves. The SELF is connected to the heart center where the spark of Divine resides. This is the path to our true SELF.
Our shadow is the person we would rather not be. Carl Jung, Swiss Swiss psychiatrist, founder of analytical psychology
2. Listening Intentionally is Another Way to Help You Better Understand Your True SELF
Please note, that all personality types can tap into intuition; some do it through introverted thinking, others through introverted feeling, and of course for those of us who have a prominent intuitive trait, well that’s typically how we intuit.
Also realize, that intuition is Divinely inspired and highly personal. It’s the way we discover and rediscover the gifts we are born with.
The power of intuition is beyond the physical senses. It literally taps into Soul wisdom, which when rid of fear, listens and receives messages from Divine Intelligence. Ahh, intentional listening. Listening to Divine Intelligence involves trust and great courage to hear, and yes, sometimes rollicking laughter from spirit guides to awakening us to the path of deep, personal listening.
Please realize a gut instinct is always a gentle message, intentionally subscribed by the true SELF. It’s never negative, demanding, or punishing us for taking action. This is the ego, which is often fear-driven.
3. A Perceiving Persona Trait: Sensor or Intuitive Listening
We are all programmed to receive and retrieve information. We do so by using sensing or intuitive traits, defined by Carl Jung as perceiving functions. Let’s look at these relatively passive functions in more detail. I understand this is a generalized view as I’ve not considered the additional traits that create each fabulous persona.
- Extroverted Sensors and Intuitives are similar, as they both desire stimulation from the outside world seeking diversity and novelty. Yet an extroverted sensor is responsive, quick, and relishes social chit-chat sharing noteworthy physical aspects; experiences, details, and sights to share. On the other hand, extroverted intuitives abhor chit-chat, they prefer deep, theoretical discussions on how things relate to one another. They will listen for hours if the topic interests them.
- Introverted Sensors and Inuitives are naturally, more reflective. Introverted sensors rehearse things before speaking, are slow to respond, and are often superb listeners. An introverted intuitive will want to extrapolate each fact, theorizing and looking for a bigger version of what is; typically highly insightful.
Conscious Communication
Remember, we must give others the space to speak what they believe is their truth. We are not here to judge; we are here to create and learn. Personality typing with a spiritual understanding leads to a more compassionate self.
In my upcoming book, the Soul’s Role in Personality Typing©️ , I go into great detail about each personality type’s communication styles and message triggers. We will dive into listening triggers to heed, and the message they want to deliver. This allows for greater learning of the true SELF.
Recap: Three Ways Listening Helps You Better Understand Your True SELF:
- Listen with both ears,
- Use message triggers to help you realize fears, aka shadow aspects that need healing
- Intentionally listening is the key to listening from the heart center, bringing peace and harmony,
- You’ll need to fully realize your perceiving traits; intuition/sensing, for deeper listening
Listening Helps You Better Understand Your True SELF: #journalprompt:
Start today by observing your communication style, seeing how you react and how others react to you. Be present for each conversation. It’s a gift you give to another. Make time for pause and reflection. Empty your mind at the beginning of each dialogue.
Try to listen beyond just words. Connect with your soul SELF. What is it trying to reveal?
Deep listening is a spiritual practice. The Sacred Art of Listening is a wonderful book on the topic.
More About the Soul’s Role in Personality Typing.
I hope you found Three Ways Listening Helps You Better Understand Your True SELF eye-opening. I’m passionate and intentional about introducing the idea of personality tying with a spiritual understanding to help you awaken to your true self. If you want to learn more about yourself, schedule a POWER HOUR CALL. Click here.
The career personality typing model of the 1950s is fine. Yet, as we awaken to our spiritual needs, we must incorporate the gifts of a healthy personality type to support our spiritual selves. When our physical and spiritual selves are in a union, we express our soul intentions through our persona, taking Divinely inspired action in all we do. Ahh, the True Self in action. The True Self is always with you, exuding joy, passion, and purpose.
You Are Not Alone in Life’s Transitions
Are you asking yourself these questions; “Who Am I?” “How did I get here?” “Why Am I Here?” “What Are My Dreams and Desires?” Know you are not alone 93% of people desire to change something about themselves.
Why would you want to change what the Creator intended for you? Your personality type can help you find answers during times of monumental challenge, struggle, and pain, and the joy, growth, and gifts you are here to share with the world.
I say Don’t Change Yourself. Find Your True SELF.
These are times of great chaos and evolution. A time when critical decision-making skills can positively alter the course of your life. Relying on someone else’s opinion makes them the author of your impending new life. Take your story back and become fully in charge and capable of deciding from the true SELF.
I’m here to share the liberating lessons and soul wisdom I gained going through my transitional 7-year life tsunami to help guide you through yours. So what are you waiting for? It’s time.
Are you going through a life transition? Becoming a parent, empty nester, going through a divorce or major career change? A deep working knowledge of your spiritual personality will give you the clarity, confidence, and courage to guide you into your next life chapter.
– Nina Zapala, founder: The Soul’s Role in Personality Typing©️
Join The Movement
Are you ready to find yourself? If so, I’d love to see you on YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or Instagram. But, of course, the best way to feel part of this community is by subscribing to my email list.
It’s Time to Discover; Spiritual Personality Typing ™️ — Nina Zapala, a Curious Type, ENTP.
Note: I’m a certified Myers-Briggs® instructor with an intuitive side and ready to introduce you to a new paradigm in personality typing supported by a spiritual understanding.
Photo Credit: Unsplash, Mimi Thian
