Do You Listen To Your Intuition?

Do you listen to your intuition?

Our intuition acts as our internal guidance system, our source of inner wisdom and insight, and often 'knows' things before our minds do.

That inexplicable sensation we all know could be considered our intuitive operating system. It sends us unconscious messages, often described as gut feelings. Have you ever said, "I should have listened to my gut."?  You probably should have, and you probably should more!

Many business leaders and professionals rely on the guidance of their intuition, basing their decisions on how they 'feel' about a situation or circumstance, and do so successfully. How many of us use our intuitive operating system in our day-to-day lives? How would our lives be different if we listened to our intuition more and trusted what we 'feel'? 

We often over-analyze situations, looking from a place of logic instead of listening to the messages from our internal guidance system. I believe if we trusted more in our own capabilities and the power we hold within, our lives could be very different.

How does one tap into their intuition and use it at it's full potential? Here are some suggestions.

1. Quiet your mind.  We are often so busy in our heads that the constant chatter overrides the act of being present, in the moment, or just being still. When we quiet our mind, we are able to hear our intuition above the chaos and noise.  
2. Meditate. If you're stuck on a decision, try mediation. Meditation isn't about stopping your thoughts, it's about slowing them down. Sometimes the answer is within the question; it's right there, but we need to slow down our busy thoughts to receive our answer.
3. Journalling. When we journal our thoughts, it awakens our  creativity. I believe that when we connect with our creative sides, it strengthens our intuition.  The two go hand-in-hand. Try journalling a page a day, even if you don't know what to write; the act of writing whatever comes to mind can enhance your intuition. 
4. Pay attention to your dreams. Sometimes the answers we seek come to us in our dreams. It's a time for our unconscious thoughts to make an appearance. Journal your dreams when they seem profound and intense; they may carry the messages you need to hear.
5. Trust your gut. Your gut knows, and I can't emphasize that enough. It's the inclination to take a different route from work, walk a different way home, or the unsettling feeling you get about a prospective client or someone you meet. That is your inner wisdom and guidance steering your clear. If something doesn't feel right, trust that feeling.
6. Step away from the situation. Don't feel like you must make a decision under pressure.  If you aren't sure about something, step back, listen to the messages you are getting, and work from that place of peace and clarity. Also ask yourself if the decision feels heavy or light, if it's light, it's right!
7. Remember to always be yourself. How does that enhance your intuition? When you are your true authentic self, it gives yourself permission to be all you are and your intuition is a vital part of you. The more authentic you are in nature, the more you connect to your well of confidence within, which enables you to connect to all elements of who you truly are.

The next time you have a gut feeling about something, instead of passing it off, listen to it.  And if you practice the suggestions above, you may find that you begin to operate more on your intuitive operating system rather than only using logic for every situation.  The more you trust your inner wisdom, the more you will find you trust yourself.

“Intuition is a combination of historical (empirical) data, deep and heightened observation, and an ability to cut through the thickness of surface reality. Intuition is like a slow motion machine that captures data instantaneously and hits you like a ton of bricks. Intuition is a knowing, a sensing that is beyond the conscious understanding — a gut feeling. Intuition is not pseudo-science.”
Abella Arthur
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