Intuition will guide you toward what you truly want and what will serve you best. Think of getting in touch with your intuition as a conversation with your higher self or uncovering your truest desires. Listening to your intuition and accessing that guidance can help you live a freer life.
So, what happens when I dismiss my intuition?
Last week, the morning after the Superbowl, I drove to pick up my son from a sleepover at his grandparent’s house. My youngest son cherishes watching sports with my Dad, so it was important that they get to watch the big game together. I’d decided this early morning drive was preferable to my picking him up at midnight the night before. Since I’m not used to navigating traffic at this hour and on a school day and not wanting him to be late for school, I took a moment to check in with myself and see if I had a feeling about the best route to go. I took a breath and willed my intuition to check the roads ahead.
An idea came to me to take a completely different route from the ones I usually would, and I dismissed it because it logically made no sense. This way would have been twice as long as my regular route. I questioned myself, thinking perhaps I wanted my time alone in the car to listen to my audiobook. Surely that was influencing me.
Shaking my head, I dismissed the longer route. Instead, I put my parent's address in my navigation system and followed the directions. Thirty minutes later, I was at a standstill less than a mile from my house because of a road closure. This gave me plenty of time to mull over the fact that my son would be late for school because I hadn't listened to my intuition. I will doubtlessly remind myself of this the next several times my intuition presents me with a solution that I can't make logical sense of.
Even knowing what I know about the accuracy of instincts and the value of listening to our inner wisdom, I struggle to go against logic at times. Social pressures and conditioning make it difficult for me to listen. How would I explain if I was late taking a completely nonsensical route? These small decisions may not seem as consequential, but affirming our intuition every chance we get helps to strengthen our intuitive awareness and empower us to trust more. It’s an imperfect practice I’m dedicated to for the benefit of my work and myself.
Bringing your intuition into the decision-making process can help you to make choices more aligned with your soul rather than people-pleasing or choosing out of fear of failure. With important decisions, it’s worth taking the time to feel into your body for answers.
Your body is like antennae for psychic and intuitive information to be processed. Noticing how your body reacts to potential outcomes can give you answers.
Try these exercises next time you need to make a decision:
Body Check-In
Remember a time when you wanted to say yes to something? When something is exciting, expansive, and attractive to you, where in your body do you feel a “yes?”
Remember a time when you wanted to say no to something? Perhaps you felt avoidant, stuck, or burdened. Where do you feel a “no” in your body?
When you are feeling unsure about something, perhaps you don’t have all of the information yet to make a decision; when do you feel uncertainty in your body?
Flip a coin
This is a way to activate your intuition into responding. Practice choosing randomly, heads for yes, tails for no, and observe how your body and intuition react to the outcome. This can give you valuable information about what it is you truly want. Then, act accordingly to your intuition.
When a choice involves people, practice this visualization.
Perhaps you are choosing between two jobs or relationships. When there are people involved, it can help to practice visualization. Close your eyes and imagine that the people or person in question are sitting next to you and sharing space and energy with you. How would it feel to be having a cup of coffee with them? Who would you want sitting next to you? Across from you? Who do you feel uncomfortable around? You’ll likely know immediately which experience you’d like to have.
It’s natural to struggle with making difficult decisions, and sometimes you might get caught up in the idea that you could “choose wrong” and somehow miss your destiny. You can not miss out on something that is meant for you.
You’ll be redirected by the universe or by your soul’s knowing.
When faced with a decision, practice self-compassion and remember that you can always change your mind. By listening to your intuition when making decisions, you are likelier to make choices that allow your mind, body, and spirit to be in harmony.
Remember more than anything—trust your own wisdom,
Sheryl