 Trusting Your Instincts
Intuition Can Benefit Your Business & Personal Lives
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Instincts and "intuition" are important parts of our personality to develop and use in everyday life. Intuition, also called "sixth sense," "gut reaction," "inner voice-spirit" and other names for thousands of years, is with us all of the time. The important thing is to learn to develop and listen to it and to know when and how to use it. Women have no more "intuition" than men; however, they develop it and use it more often than men due to socialization and sex-role modelling.
Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer used to say, "Follow your heart, but do it with your head." While he certainly did well following his intuitions, I would suggest that the reverse order of thinking of "using your head, and follow your heart," might fit better with what I have seen work for me and many others. To do this, we bring into play knowing how to recognize "boundaries" of ours that are being breached or crossed, and we also learn when to go forward in a situation and when to back away or forget it completely. This all takes practice daily, and the tools coaches use such as Toleration Lists, Needless List, True Values, and Reserves are excellent assessments to use and review on an ongoing basis, so we develop and are reminded of what we need and want and will tolerate, and what we do and will not. Then intuitive feelings can be much more easily felt and followed or trusted. we will know in our heart if something feels or is "right" for us or not.
And yes, as many people know or find out, it takes more fortitude and guts to live by our intuitions. We are in some cases going against what many others might tell us is right or the "prudent" thing to say or to do. Going by intuitions also means that we will often need to move out of what we have defined as our "comfort zone," and into totally new areas, where risks of rejection, failure, or condemnation are possible. I certainly don't subscribe to the belief that to live using our intuitions means we throw all common sense and caution to the wind. On the other hand, I don't think we serve ourselves our clients or our friends and loved ones by leading the "safe" life, and staying indoors with a book and bag of potato chips either. A key word here is OPTIONS. When we open ourselves up to exploring and to listening and even trying new things, we open the door for great things to happen and for goals and opportunities we never would have experienced to come our way.
Deliberate living, using our mind and senses and knowledge and intuition, has led to most of the great discoveries and achievements in the history of mankind. "Playing it safe" and never taking risks or chances or reaching just a bit more than the length of our arm's reach has not. Intuition makes itself known to us in various ways, depending on the person. Some people say they can "feel it in their heart," while others get a chill, feel it in their "bones," or literally in their "gut." Medically speaking, from the way the mind and body work in tandem, we can usually rely on how our body is feeling, especially the unusual sensations or responses, that something is "up." We can then use our head to determine whether this something is a "positive" or a "negative," or sometimes just a "neutral." When we hear a person say in a depressed sounding voice, "I really haven't felt any better...everything is fine here," besides the obvious voice change, we get the "inkling" or strong intuition that all is not all right with them!
To develop and use intuition well, there are a couple of things we need ideally to be able to tune into it well and see what it is telling us. These things may not be always available, but whenever possible, if a decision can wait, take time to use as many as you can before making any decisions based on your intuition:
Space and Quiet.
This can be 15 minutes to an hour or more to meditate or simply relax without other disturbances, to reflect on what we feel and how it relates to our life, and to decide what route we wish to take. Meditation, where we clear the mind of all but focusing on the intuitive feeling, will often bring us the answer. Remember to go where there will be no phones or other noise or disturbances until you think you will be done.
Comfortable surroundings and chair or bed or couch.
To relax and focus on our inner thoughts, you need to be comfortable. This means find a quiet place where there is a bed, chair or other comfortable piece of furniture upon which to sit or recline or lie while you are taking this time out. If you fall asleep, you probably needed it and will function better after your nap. Most seasoned meditators sit in at least a semi-upright position to make it less likely they will fall asleep.
After you have thought and focused for a time, eventually you will decide which way to go with your intuitive feelings. It is important to let the answer come to you and come from within you, rather than to analyze the situation or think about it while trying to relax. The answer will become clear if given time and quiet and practice. Then you have the always present "choice" whether to go with your intuition or not.
It is said by many scholars, therapists, philosophers, mentors and theologians, "All the answers you need are inside of you." In the midst of a crisis or a big decision, with pressure and noise and confusion and emotions, it is sometimes irritating to hear that, since we might feel it to be trite or a bit simplistic. The experiences of thousands of scholars and everyday people who have, over time developed their intuitive feelings, and who have learned how to listen to them and make decisions based on them, leads me to the conclusion that while it is difficult (more so for the person who is used to "left brained" (problem solving) and takes consistent practice and desire, developing and learning to trust and use our strong intuitions and our "inklings" can add quality, excitement and great opportunities to our lives.
© Dennis R. Tesdell
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"Be the change you want to see in the world." Gandhi 
"A person's true wealth is the good he or she does in the world." Mohammed (PBUH)
"All things are possible to those who believe." Jesus
"Life is a bridge; enjoy while crossing, but don't build a castle upon it." Upanishads
