You know how those old sitcoms or cartoons would show a character struggling to make a pivotal decision about something and a little angel pops up on the character's right shoulder advising him or her to do the "right" thing, while a little devil sits on the left shoulder enticing the person to do the "wrong" thing?

For the sake of a teachable moment in the story, the right thing usually ends up being the harder, more responsible, more inconvenient, or uncomfortable thing that falls within expectations of rules, laws, or codes we are taught to live by. The wrong thing is usually the opposite, serving instant gratification, the obvious "easy road", and allows us to avoid any guilt or accountability for the moment.

This is something we all can relate to. From the smallest child to the oldest adult, we spend our lives evaluating personal choices that end up making, breaking, and sometimes remaking the strength of our character and life paths. Generally, we already know we should listen to the little angel, but the little devil is so tempting and knows just what to say.

However, the older we get and the more complex and nuanced our lives become, it's not always so easy to identify which of those inner voices is represented by the angel and which is that damn devil. Life choices are harder. They involve more people who we may impact. Major decisions may force us to reexamine our own codes and perspectives. It may even lead us to some serious self-reflection to think about what would truly make us happy and where we want to see ourselves down the road. What we once thought we would never ever do just might be up for some serious consideration, given new information and circumstances.

How do you truly know which decision is right? Not in the binary sense of right and wrong equaling good vs evil, but in the sense of what is right specifically for you. If you have begun a journey to self-awareness, and are no longer as affected by simply following the culturally and socially prescribed "rules" about how to live your life, it's as simple as listening to your destiny from within. As individuals, we each have our own specific destinies. What my destiny says to me (and drives me towards) will be different than what your destiny will say to you.

In Ifa (the traditional spirituality of the Yoruba people in southwest Nigeria and in Benin), we call this voice of our destiny our Ori Inu which means "inner head" in the Yoruba language. Ori is described as one's own personal divinity, or higher consciousness, that guides us to our purpose in life. Listening to our Ori can be likened to acknowledging our gut instincts or in the western saying "follow your heart", Ori would be the "heart" or that feeling in your gut that compels you towards a certain choice or self-realized truth. Once this consciousness is truly aligned with your divine higher purpose (whatever that might be for you), it is this divine voice of your destiny (Ori/head, gut, heart) that represents that so-called angel on your shoulder and won't steer you wrong. We all have this sense for a reason and whether we are consciously aware or not, this is the voice that keeps us from danger and instinctively saves us from disaster and stupid decisions. Ori is our better judgment that leads us to the things that most fulfill us if we decide to acknowledge and listen to it instead of ignore it.

The tricky part, however, can be learning to not confuse your Ori with the ego. Ego has a voice too. Even if the ego isn't the stronger of your two voices, it can still be deceptive and the biggest adversary to our own progress and self-help. Although the ego has its useful purpose in that it aids in self-preservation because it is driven by primal urges and emotions such as fear, anger, stimulation, hunger, and discomfort. It kicks in when our consciousness feels threatened in some way and we need these urges and emotions to ignite our survival instincts in the immediate short term. But holding on to these types of emotions in the long term, when the threat is no longer existing, only serves to stroke and nourish the ego leaving us stuck and inhibits growth, progression, and transformation.

For too many, the ego is strong and if left to its own devices, without having actively implemented a sense of ethics to quell it once it has served its purpose, it can carry you on a circular path of irresponsible decisions. It goes without saying that this would be the voice represented by the proverbial "devil" on the shoulder. The ego plays into your immediate mental, emotional, and physical gratification. It wants you to choose desire over need. It considers the external things that shouldn't matter and not necessarily the internal things that should. It can sometimes only apply linear thinking of the conscious mind and ignore transitioning variables or the abstract soul of the deeper subconscious mind. When no evidence of threat is present, it is driven by negative energies and emotions like envy, resentment, insecurity, vengeance, selfishness, greed, self-doubt and self-pity. It usually wants you to remain focused on the immediate short term and not the end goal over the long haul. It deceptively tries to talk you out of your plans for greatness and into remaining in your comfort zone, yet it is never really satisfied. It invites you to serve and promote, first and foremost, me, myself, and I. Again, putting yourself first is not always a bad thing and in many situations it can be necessary or highly recommended. But when the only factors guiding your choices are what you logically think makes you feel good right at this moment instead of what you know or sense would be best for your highest good in the long run, then those choices have usually been dictated by ego and not Ori.

The next time you are at a fork in the road of life and can't decide what you should do, take your time and analyze who speaks to you strongest and which voice you notice you are inclined to listen to. From there you'll have a better picture of why you are where you are and where you have been. Then, let Ori guide you and align you with your destiny.

Keep a cool and calm head for alignment with your ori, or higher self, with our Ori Bless Me Body Oil. Apply a little oil to your head, put your hands on your head, then ask your Ori to guide you towards your highest good in all your decisions.