I’m sure you have had times when you don’t know what to do. Or something “feels off” but you aren’t sure what that is. It’s your intuition, your inner knowing, telling you to pay attention. Sometimes it is a quiet little nudging and other times there’s a siren going off in your head that says, “Wait, danger.” When we listen to your intuition, we make better choices and decisions.

Intuition is our inner compass, the inner guidance system helping us to navigate life. It’s here to point us in a better direction. But in today’s world, there is too much noise—television, searching the internet, scrolling through social media, to name a few—that our minds are on overload and we can’t hear or feel our intuition. We miss an opportunity to see a new perspective or another option, which can lead to improved decisions.

“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” — Alan Alda

Follow Your Intuition

Listening to our intuition is where we find our true selves. Standing confident in who we are is an important part of well-being. When we give others “control” instead of listening to our inner knowing—trusting someone else’s opinion over our own—we diminish our worth. Or when we say “I think…” instead of stating what we believe in, also reduces our value. This leads us to think others are more important or know better about what is good for us rather than our own wisdom.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” — Steve Jobs

Searching outside ourselves to find answers brings in new insight and is important to growth. But when information goes against our inner knowing, then trouble brews. One sign that something may not be right for us is when we are feeling stressed, anxious, or emotional. Our feelings are usually the first indicator to pay attention.

Listen To Your Gut

Take a moment to step back and connect with your inner knowing. Give yourself time to look over the options. Sleep on it. Many times, a decision doesn’t need to be made right now. Waiting will give you time to connect with your intuition, which may bring a different solution, one that you did not see initially. As the saying goes, “listen to your gut.” 

A Stanford psychologist discovered going with your gut versus more rational decision-making strategies resulted in better decisions. “Intuition led to the best choice 68 percent of the time, compared to a 26 percent success rate for more head-focused strategies.” ¹

7 ways to help you listen to your intuition:

1.     Step away from the noise. Meditate. Be still and connect with your inner knowing. Or go outside—take a walk, sit in the sun, ride a bike, listen to the birds, garden. Anything to get you out of your head so you can hear your intuition.

2.     Listen to your body. When something doesn’t feel good or feels off, that is a sign to pay attention. Our body is a first responder—it can feel what’s good or bad, right or wrong, before our brain realizes it. Ask yourself, does my body feel unbound, open, calm, light? Or does it feel restricted, clenched, tight, or heavy? These are clues that can lead you in the right direction.

3.     Meditate. Make an intention to find a solution to the answers you are seeking, then meditate on it. Aim for 10 to 15 minutes or more.

4.     Give yourself time to reflect on the situation. Don’t be in a hurry to fix something now. Sometimes, waiting a day can bring in a new perspective. The answer may even come to you as you sleep or walk. Let your mind wander to bring in creative solutions.

5.     Write it down. I’ve found that writing introduces varied options, especially in automatic writing, where you just write. In this space, you don’t stop to edit or make sense of it—you just let the words pour out. Writing is a great way to connect with your intuition. It brings the situation out into the open, helping you to process your thoughts and feelings, and delivers new understandings.

6.     Stay calm. You may not accurately hear your intuition when you worry. Stress can lead to making poor decisions because you aren’t thinking clearly. Calm yourself before you decide, especially when making an important decision. Try some deep breathing exercises, listen to music, or take a walk to relax yourself.

7.     Trust yourself. Only you know what’s best for you. Take information and filter through it to find what resonates with your soul. When decisions are made from the soul level—where your intuition lives—better answers will appear to make better choices.

Have the courage to follow and listen to your intuition. When you connect to your intuition, your internal guidance system, you will live a more authentic, heart-driven life.

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/how-to-listen-to-your-gut.html

Photo by Jen Theodore on UnSplash

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