Bishop T.D. Jakes appeared on Oprah's "Lifeclass" earlier this month to discuss his new book, "Instinct: The Power to Release Your Inborn Drive."
"We live in so much noise that we don't have time to hear what's coming out of inside you," the megachurch pastor stated. The best way to get in touch with one's inner voice, Jakes revealed, is by surrounding oneself with people of like mind.
"You need to be with people who have your rhythm," he said. "It stops confusion, it stops chaos and it limits misunderstanding because even though you haven't' connected yet, you have the same rhythm. "
Jakes, who helped produce "Heaven is For Real," revealed the importance of instinct, telling Oprah a story about a safari he took in South Africa with a zoologist and a Zulu.
The zoologist could tell Bishop Jakes every detail about the animals: their habitat, mating practices, the formation of their teeth. "The problem was, he could explain the elephant -- but he couldn't find it," Bishop Jakes says.
After going all day without seeing an elephant, the Zulu finally spoke. "The Zulu stood up and said, 'The elephant is over there,'" Bishop Jakes says.
"And when he said it, bells went off in my head," he says. "Because all of a sudden, I realize I am seated between intellect and instinct. Intellect can explain it, but instinct can find it."
"All of my life flashed before me in the most incredible way," Bishop Jakes says. "Intelligence may load the gun-but instinct pulls the trigger."
Bishop Jakes says that while it is important to be surrounded by encouraging people and take time to listen, Jesus Christ is ultimately the only true source of stability.
"When things appear impossible and your situation grows challenging, keep your eyes on Jesus and keep moving forward!," he tweeted earlier today.
The "Oprah's Lifeclass" event has featured Bishop Jakes several times before. Previously, Jakes discussed the consequences of people holding onto their past and the power of forgiveness.
"If you hold on to history, you do it at the expense of your destiny," he said in a powerful speech.
"Forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator...it does not justify their behavior. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself," he continued.
Bishop T.D. Jakes is the senior pastor of the Potter's House, a global humanitarian organization and 30,000-member church.
