Guardian Angels: The Original Backseat Drivers

Have you ever had an idea just pop in — you know, you heard that little voice and thought "wait, where did that come from?" Ever think that could've been one of your guides? No? Well, it really can be that easy.

If you're like me, you have more inner dialogue than you know what to do with. Going through daily tasks, remembering your schedule, your kids' schedules, and how to put your pants on right. I mean, who isn't multitasking? You're in luck — your guides, or guardian angels, however you see them, can talk to you through anything.

I always thought that to contact my guardian angel or guides, I had to hit some supreme-level Zen moment and do a magical chant while floating three feet in the air. Thank goodness I was wrong. And to be honest, at first, getting too quiet actually backfired on me.

For my busy mind and lifestyle, I was happy to find out that my guides love to talk to me while my body is occupied doing a non-thought-provoking task. Like washing dishes, fixing my hair, etc.

Here's how I picture it: our body is the car, our mind is the driver, and our guides are the backseat drivers. Oh, yes you got to love a backseat driver.

Most of the time they're just riding along quietly, tossing out the occasional "hey, you might want to slow down here" — that gut feeling, that idea that pops in out of nowhere. But if we're the ones behind the wheel and we're just not paying attention — zoned out, thinking about dinner, whatever — and the car's about to run a red light, that's when a backseat driver pipes up and hits that imaginary brake. And if we're still not responding and keep speeding ahead, that's when they really grab that wheel and yank it themselves.

That's the role our guides play. Our guides give us the nudge — the gut feeling, the "something's off" — but we're the ones who actually have to respond. And look, sometimes we miss that tug, and we get those little fender benders. Let's call them lessons, so we can hopefully learn how to stay in our lane or pick up the pace.

But we all know sometimes we like to ignore that flashing red light and the nudges — and not always because we're rebelling. Sometimes it's because we trust the self-drive too much. We get so comfortable letting it drive that we forget we're still the one responsible for the wheel. Well, ha ha for us — when we don't respond, our guides can only do so much from the backseat. That's when the bigger lessons show up: the ones that bang us up enough to make us finally listen. Free will means yes, we can ignore all the road signs, but that whisper just might get stronger. Then you end up in a midlife crisis wondering why you are seeing things, and then — holy crap — the voices in your head answered back!

So the next time you get that feeling you can't explain, or a thought to call or check on someone, or fill out a job application out of the blue — maybe, just maybe, that's your backseat driver piping up. A word of advice don't just sit there — take the nudge and tap the brakes yourself, before your backseat driver has to grab the wheel. Talk to the voices in your head. And, don't be scared when they talk back. And when you finally do? I bet you can practically hear them go, "Well, hallelujah. Someone's finally listening."