Trusting Your Gut

One of the best things I ever did for myself was to start trusting my intuition. Ah, there are so many times I can think back in my past that I blatantly ignored my intuition, and those days did not end well.

What exactly does it mean to trust your intuition? For me, I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach as a warning sign that something is not right and will not be good for me. I think to think of these as little love notes from God or the Universe, depending on what you believe.

What I realized is that once you start to trust your intuition, your instincts will deepen and you will start picking up on situations that are good for you and that are not good for you. It will save you A LOT of heartache in the long run.

You may be thinking that trusting your gut/ intuition is not for you. There are times you use your intuition without event knowing that you do. It exists in all of us. Intuition is the psychological process where your brain uses past experiences and cues for the self and environment to make a decision. The decision happens so quickly that it doesn’t register in your consciousness.

Without getting too science-y, I will give you the quick recap of where your intuition lies. Our brains have two “operating systems”. The first is quick and effortless; this is where the intuition lies. It allows us to make quick decisions about whether something is real, fake, feels good, feels bad and is right or wrong. It happens outside of our conscious brain. Our conscious brain is slower to respond, more analytical and deliberate.

Let me share with you an example of a time I did not follow my intuition.

A few years ago earlier in my career, I interviewed for this position and at that time, I had an extremely estranged relationship with my gut, and chose to ignore all of the signs that screamed that this job would not be a good fit for me. I received a job offer and I was desperate at that time for a job, I was recently laid off from my past job, because that company closed down due to bankruptcy. I accepted the job offer for the other company; I did see signs that did not sit well with me. The first sign that I received was that the HR department was supposed to email me on Friday with all of my paperwork, and my start date was on the following Tuesday as Monday was a major holiday. Friday came and went, and I did not receive any paperwork. The following Tuesday I did not know what time or what to expect on my first day. I received a call at 10 am from my so-called boss, who made comments about my salary being hiring than the rest of the Account Managers. I thought that was odd because of my past experiences, I had over 10 years as an event planner, and I was taking a pay cut at this job. Without dragging this story on too long, let’s just say, I left this company after 2 months of working there because the position was just not meant for me. If I had trusted my gut back when I originally started the job, I would of saved myself the heartache and insecurities I had after I left this job.

These situations no longer bother me as I now think of these times as lessons in my life, which in turn makes my life so much more positive.

As always, here are my 8 tips to tap into your intuition and start having a positive life. I would highly suggest pulling out your favorite notebook and pen, and take some notes over these steps. This will allow you to get one step closer to having the most positive life you can possibly have.

Without further ado, here we go:

1. Become friends with your “intuition”

As I mentioned before, we all have an intuition and for each one of us our intuition could look and feel very differently.

A few ways that your intuition comes through is you may have a deep feeling right in the pit of your stomach, it may be a light flutter or a heavy feeling depending on the circumstance you are about to face. Other ways that your intuition may show up is that you may hear a voice in your mind that makes a clear statements or a powerful thought that pops up that you can’t ignore.

Pay attention to these signs, and start trusting it just as you would one of your closest friends. Get really familiar with these sensations and the circumstances in which they appear.

2. Ask the questions you need to be answered

If you are faced with a challenge and need some direction, I would highly suggest sitting down and getting really quiet. Maybe place your hand on your heart and ask your intuition your question. I would suggest asking a YES or NO question. Once you do, wait for the answer, and you will hear the answer shortly.

3. Strengthen your intuition

Just like our 5 senses, ability to hear, feel, see, taste and touch, we spent time to strengthen these senses. We will need to do the same for our intuition to develop. We should set aside time each day to work on opening and developing our intuition. This is can be done by journaling, focusing on your breathing, yoga/ meditation.

4. Never doubt it

In order for your intuition to guide you, you must have complete faith and trust in it. The more you trust it, the stronger it gets and the more you will be able to avoid bad/ toxic situations.

5. Take note of your dreams

When we dream, that is when our subconscious mind is fully at work. We often get messages in our dreams, and it is very important for us to interpret them.

One thing I like to do is to keep a notebook near my bed. This way I can record my dreams and interpret them when I am awake and focused. This can unlock all kinds of gems into your feelings, life and your future.

6. Be silent and meditate

Stress and anxiety can drown out your inner voice and prevent you from living your best life. The only way to deal with any stressors is to clear them our and get rid of anything that doesn’t serve and support you.

One way that helps me to clear of these stressors is meditation. Meditation clears and quiets your mind and opens up a wonderful channel to your intuition.

7. Read more

If you are interested in learning more about your intuition, I would suggest investing your time in reading and learning more about how to develop your intuition. Some of my favorite authors are Laura Day and Deepak Chopra.

8. Become more aware

Finally, become more aware of your intuition and act on it. This is especially important because the more you become aware and trust your intuition, the more that these opportunities will begin to present themselves to you. I would recommend listen closely, and act accordingly so you don’t miss out on these little love notes.

Hope this brought a bit of positivity into you day!

Sending love and blessings,

Kit