Have an important decision to make? Check your intuition!
Need to know what you should do next? What does your intuition say about it?
You hear people say to trust your intuition, but how do you know what your intuition is telling you about that decision?
One way to tap into your intuition to help you make decisions is to think about two situations:
Situation 1: Think about a person, place, thing, or situation that made (or makes) you feel completely engaged, happy or at home. Think about what you felt emotionally, physically and mentally.
Situation 2: Think about a person, place or thing that made (or makes) you feel completely out of your element and uncomfortable. Think about what you felt emotionally, physically and mentally.
Now, think about the decision you want to make. If you decide yes, how does it feel? Does it feel more like situation 1 or situation 2? If you decide no, how does it feel?
For example, let’s say you want to determine if you should go to an event or not. When you think about going to the event, does it feel more like situation 1 or 2? I can usually tell by the feeling in my stomach or back. The feeling in both places is different for each situation.
How do you tap into your intuition to make decisions?
A couple of things to point out:
- The above technique is very similar to Martha Beck’s “Shackles Off/On” technique in her book “Steering By Starlight.”
- If you want some additional ways to tap into your intuition check out this post on Angela Artemis’ blog Powered by Intuition.
I remember teaching this technique to my kids. I used how they felt about grandma and a creepy neighbor (long story, but the kids understand).
My daughters and son still use this when they have to make a split decision. (I think they use two different people though, since both are long gone from their lives…)
Great post.
What a great thing to teach your kids! I came across this technique fairly recently, probably in the last 2 or 3 years.
This is really great advice, Evie. It is important to learn to connect to our feelings when making “snap” decisions. I remember reading Malcolm Gladwell’s “Blink”. Very fascinating book on the same subject. It’s amazing what our unconscious minds are processing.
Ohh, sounds like I have a new book to add to my “to read” list. I’ve heard of it, but haven’t picked it up yet. And very true about our unconscious minds.
And here I thought you were going to use muscle testing. This is much simpler and people don’t look at you funny when you’re deciding. 🙂
Our bodies are amazing machines and they often know way before our heads do what the right decision is. Fabulous advice!
I love muscle testing too! I use the stand and sway method (I think it’s #2 in Angela’s article). Is that the technique you use, or do you use a different one?
This was a phenomenal post Evie. I had never heard of this exercise before, but it’s going to come very much in handy. I’m usually pretty good about listening to my intuition, but there are times when what needs to be done or what should be done, is as unclear as a gallon of lemonade in a clear pitcher. This post will be useful in those moments. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I have always found that my intuition takes me where i want to go, in the quickest time possible. It allow me to make choices from the my inner wisdom , rather than trying to use logic and assess the given situation. Go with the flow has become my favourite saying. If it feels right just do it.