Thankfully, these days more and more people are committed to living a spiritually empowered, authentically grounded, intuitively guided, positive, and peaceful life.

We’re generally becoming much more willing to accept the idea that we are spiritual beings who create our own reality and aren’t simply victims of circumstance, as evidenced by a huge surge of interest in such things as quantum physics and mind-body medicine. We’re more willing to explore and discuss our rich inner lives and our ever-expanding intuitive experiences. And yet, in spite of these encouraging signs, we’re still suffering with, and causing some of, the worst personal and worldwide violence and earthly destruction that humankind has ever known.

So, even though the idea of spiritual awakening and personal empowerment sounds appealing and even possible, the actual shift in consciousness most of us need to make in order to go from victim of circumstance to Divine co-creator has yet to occur. We all must take a big step forward – if not an actual leap – to jumpstart the transformation that everyone speaks of and desires . . . and the world so desperately needs. Our inner peace contributes to the world’s peace.

A life where we believe that we aren’t making a meaningful contribution feels like a life wasted. People in this state tend to find negative ways to distract themselves and deaden the emptiness they experience. Whether this leads to destructive behaviors or emotions, frequent accidents or illnesses, career stalls or chronic unemployment, or outbursts of rage or social withdrawal, soon the problem becomes other peoples’ problem as well. All paths are interwoven – we are connected to one another, and one person’s misery eventually affects everyone else. Therefore, not only is tuning in to our inner guidance an essential personal need, it’s also a profoundly important familial and social need.

Listening to the voice of your intuition – instead of the voice of your fears and other peoples’ wishes and instructions – will bring about, over time, a deep-seated, unwavering sense of profound integrity, creative inspiration, and grounded soul purpose. Tuning in to and following your intuition relaxes your mind, puts your body at ease, and opens your heart because you eliminate inner conflict as you become more at one with your Spirit, your true Self. Following your Spirit brings about an inner sense of peace, eliminates distraction, and helps you be more open. With such a big load off your shoulders, you can begin to fine-tune your awareness and expand your creativity, gaining a more graceful, fulfilling, and productive rhythm in your life. With your Spirit firmly at the helm, you flow with the deepest, most authentic truth of your being and experience each day as God designed and intended you to experience it: perfect, beautiful, connected, and filled with joy. Because you’re aligned with your true Self, you feel less and less compelled to seek approval or self-worth in how others view you. You stop feeling out of sync with yourself, and that’s a huge relief.

In following your intuition and trusting your Spirit, not only do you feel uplifted, but you also uplift everyone you come in contact with. Because we are sentient beings and are affected by one another’s energy, others will sense your genuine ease and consequently relax more in your company. Many of the typical challenges you might expect, such as experiencing others as overly cautious or suspicious, will seem to suddenly ease, replaced with more heart-to-heart, creative, trusting, and positive connections. Guided by your intuition, your Spirit opens your eyes to new perspectives, reveals new opportunities, and showers you with synchronistic moments that bring a sense of certain magic into your life. Even those people who have been habitually difficult to deal with, such as set-in-their-ways family members or hardened bosses, won’t trouble you as much, as your intuition also often brings with it more objectivity, deeper insight, and better understanding of others. You become more compassionate, recognizing others’ negative behavior as a symptom of having lost touch with their inner voice, their Spirit, so it’s easier not to take their unpleasant or obnoxious behavior personally. In fact, often those who are not in the habit of being easygoing will change their behavior when in your company because your personal vibration is generally so positive they can’t help but start to entrain with it. With your Spirit guiding, you will feel lighter and clearer, and your world will brighten up. You will start to really love yourself and your life, and that’s the best reward of all.

Honoring our inner voice and allowing our Spirit to lead is the inevitable choice we must all eventually make if we hope to live together in peace. Choosing otherwise keeps us battling our own fears and battling others. This choice hurts us, each other, and our planet. Those who refuse, for whatever reason, to surrender to their intuition, their heart, and their Spirit will continue to suffer, to struggle, and to miss out on the joys of life. Like a battery running out of power, unless we stop fighting and start trusting our Spirit for guidance, our limited ego energy will dwindle and die. I feel confident that sooner rather than later we will all come to realize the limitations of the ego, and accept the power that lies within our Spirit because that is the purpose of our soul’s journey on Earth.

Reading this article or having it fall into your hands in some other way is a strong indication that, on a deep level, you’re ready to start living in greater alignment with your authentic Self. Maybe this is your first step toward that end. Maybe you’ve already taken steps along the path toward living your life this way. No matter what got you to this page, deciding to allow your intuition to lead the way will soon have you leaving fear behind and enjoying the bounty and joy that come with living in flow.

Excerpted from the new book Tune In: Let Your Intuition Guide You To Fulfillment and Flow by Sonia Choquette. Published by Hay House ©2013 and available at all bookstores or online at: www.hayhouse.com.

Sonia Choquette is a world-renowned author, storyteller, vibrational healer, and six-sensory spiritual teacher in international demand for her guidance, wisdom, and capacity to heal the soul. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Answer Is Simple… among other books; as well as numerous audio programs and card decks and published in over 30 countries. Sonia was educated at the University of Denver and the Sorbonne in Paris, and holds a Ph.D. in metaphysics from the American Institute of Holistic Theology. www.soniachoquette.com.