It’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog entry. So long in fact, that I’m uncertain about how a new post will be received. Will anyone read it? Do I have anything important to share? How will I begin without an explanation of my absence? That explanation is an entire piece on its own. But until I share about that, I’m just going to take a leap here to get back in the saddle.
Congratulations! You possess a highly finessed skill that has the power to aid in your resiliency during tough times, to help with decision-making, give rise to creative thinking and give you the next boost of confidence for starting something new. That skill is your intuition and wow, does it hold a lot of gifts and information.
You know when you “get that feeling” about a person, a situation, an idea? I usually feel it pretty strongly, and when I get a hit like that, there’s a little bubbling-up in my gut that happens. It propels me in my thinking and it can motivate me to take action or protect myself. Some people are less attuned to their intuitive skills but we all possess them.
You’ve heard the advice “trust your gut”. It means – pay attention to what’s bubbling-up. When you’re headed into a questionably dangerous situation it’s your intuition shouting “Get out of here!”. If we don’t listen to that voice but follow the direction of another, we can get ourselves into trouble and/or make unwise choices. When we second-guess our intuitive thinking and consistently take the road of certainty, we ignore the wisdom of our own bodies.
The problem with intuition is that it’s not fact. It’s a feeling. There are no guarantees that your intuition is correct or even true. You may even experience regret. Therein lies the dilemma for those who struggle with perfectionism or are adverse to risk-taking. In order to cultivate our intuition, we must let go of certainty, and that’s no small feat. In my opinion, the risk of acting on an incorrect hunch is that it’s simply incorrect. The risk of not acting is that you’ll miss out on the potential of learning, falling in love, creating something beautiful or charting a new path. The more we act on our intuition the more we begin to trust it. The more we practice, the easier it gets.
If you are one of those people who struggle with uncertainty (everyone does to some extent), try cultivating your intuition in low risk situations. Remember, intuition is that first physical hit we get before our conscious/intellectual minds get the best of us. You can cultivate your intuition by paying more attention to your gut in general.
5 Ideas for Cultivating Your Intuition:
- The graphic above belongs to Paul Foreman at mindmapinspiration.com. Check out his site for inspiration and more information your intuition.
- Play with creativity – Have you always wanted to dabble in a form of creative expression, but worry about being good enough? Take out the watercolors or old camera and just play. Don’t think of it as art; just have fun.
- Test your gut. The next time you’re with a friend and a light bulb goes off, ask them if it’s all right to share a “crazy idea”.
- Quiet your mind. Intuition lives in the present. Meditate or practice mindfulness techniques to quiet the noise of everyday life.
- Take a wild guess! There’s no right or wrong in following your intuition. Trust that what you’re thinking will lead you to a sound decision.
Please share your own thoughts about intuition. What happens when you pay attention to that “funny feeling”? What happens when you ignore it?
It’s great to be back – I’m so happy I took the leap.
All my best, from the bottom of my gut,
Joan