I've been into this since 1997. 
An acute shamanistic experience awakened me to my spirit guides who later showed up in a Baptist church.  Since has been the integration of this guidance into everyday life, attempting to act with it, to breathe with it as I realize what it has been showing me is Love itself.  People might call it their “true self”; I call it the part of me that is aware of its connection to life.  By this relation is borne purpose,
moment by moment,
life unto life,
love unto love.