steer us, be it the input of others or a familiar pattern, instead of listening to our inner guidance.
How often has that worked for you?
We have a tendency to go with what is most familiar and, therefore, most comfortable. Unfortunately, the sensations of fear and stress are probably all too familiar for most of us. Anxiety might be experienced as clammy hands, stomach distress or a lack of sleep. Tension may bring headaches, tight shoulders or clenched muscles. We might experience the discomfort of a stress-induced backache or stiff neck. These symptoms are your body's way of telling you to take care of yourself and work to remedy the situation causing this unease. Hopefully, you will listen to those signals, or you may end up with a bill from a chiropractor or massage therapist, or taking a sick day from work. Listening to the basic advice of your body is the first step in connecting with your intuition.
The next step is getting comfortable with the fact that you have a strong intuitive sense. The ability to clearly hear your intuition is directly related to your level of confidence. Trusting yourself, valuing your worth and believing that you are deserving are keys to gaining clarity through your intuition. The higher the level of stress or fear you have, the less you will hear your inner voice. Conversely, the more at ease you are with yourself, the more clearly you will understand and trust your intuition. And, by this, the more you listen to your intuition, the more confidence you will have with yourself, and in all aspects of your life. Did that come off as me speaking in one big circle? Good! That's how intertwined your intuition is with your confidence. Believing in yourself is key to all things in life, but especially with connecting to your intuitive side.
Sometimes, with all the stress and outside influences in your life, you may realize what your inner voice was trying to tell you after the fact, which is usually when you are more calm and a bit more removed from the situation. That's okay; it's part of the learning process. When you look back, you may remember the feeling you had and the message that was given. You may even recall the moment it came through. You might also remember the feeling you had when you decided not to heed that signal. Take note of what you learn in hindsight. (Jot down the memories you had just now in your Journal Pages located at the end of this and each chapter.) The more you work with your intuition and recall the sensations it sends you, the more you will be able trust it. Your inner voice will speak more clearly to you, and you will have greater confidence in its guidance and the choices you make.
So, what exactly is your intuition telling you?
Your inner voice is the unbiased and sometimes inexplicable truth that guides you to your highest good. This truth has no agenda except to show you the paths that are in alignment with your best interests, the most elegant ways of taking action, and to life-enriching experiences.
This is why the inner voice is so important. Its source is pristine. It has no attachment. It is only truth. You may not understand why it says what it says but, if you trust it and infuse logic to the application, you cannot go wrong.
I had this confirmed for me while I was writing my first book, Exploring Your Potential. Because I'm more of a speaker than a writer, I was in need of a professional to help me make my thoughts clear. I was given the name of a local woman who ghostwrites, edits and understood publishing. She had all the skills I was looking for, but I didn't have a good feeling about her. I ignored this feeling and went ahead and met with her. The meeting did little to alleviate my uneasy feeling and—because I was in such need of help to complete my book—I agreed to hire her. The moment I made that decision, I felt a knot in my stomach, but ignored that, too. I know! You would think I would know better, with all my years of understanding and trusting my intuition, but we are all human, and we all make mistakes. I let my desire to get the book done override my intuition.
Every time I contacted her or did anything with the project that required her involvement, the knot in my stomach made itself known. In a short amount of time, what my intuition was telling me about her became clear. She was unresponsive to most communications, which greatly slowed the process and made setting up meetings nearly impossible. Even worse, she didn't complete the work by the deadlines stated in the signed contract. In fact, very little work was done in the four-month period I worked with her. It was extremely frustrating, but I thought, somehow, there would be a way I could make it work with her. Yet, whenever I tried to rationalize my decision, the knot was always there, telling me what I already knew: hiring her was a mistake. Finally, I ended our working relationship and requested a refund of the remaining deposit (which, of course, she took her time to return).
My intuition had told me from the start that she was not the most ideal person for the job, and I ignored it. I was so eager to move forward with the book that I ignored my instinct. I was able to rationalize this choice because I didn't know enough about the world of writing and publishing. She was the only writing professional I knew of at the time and, quite frankly, I didn't want to take the time to research and interview more people. My impatience cost me time and money, and caused a lot of irritation.
Even though I ignored my intuition, it didn't stop warning me. Eventually, I couldn't dismiss that knot in my stomach any longer and I took action. A few weeks after letting go of that ghostwriter, I met another woman who was a writer and editor, and she was able to help me finish the book. The process with her was much faster and easier, and I was much happier. Lesson learned!
Insightful Questions
How do you define intuition?
When did you first become aware of your intuition?
Take a moment to think back to a key situation when you didn't listen to your intuition. How did your intuition speak to you? (What sensation did you feel and where in your body did you feel it?)
Was the outcome of that situation desirable or disappointing? (Provide details and insights.)
How long after the outcome did you realize you missed the signals your intuition was sending you?
The next time you felt that kind of signal in your body, did you listen or respond to it, making another choice? Did you prefer that outcome?
Journal Page
(Please add additional insights here.)
Journal Page
Understanding Your Body's Language
“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” - Benjamin Spock
Some people already have a heightened ability to feel the body's signals and are naturally aware of how to read them. To these people, understanding intuition is as natural as breathing. You might know a few of them—those friends or colleagues who seem to always make sound decisions; those who have a lightness and joy about them, and an ease with which they make their way through life. They aren't just lucky; they listen to their intuition.
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