Intuition and Inner Wisdom

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As the theme of my posts this month is Acceptance, I'm linking to my day 1 post about the subject for latecomers to the series, or for anyone who might like to be reminded what part acceptance plays in each topic I am writing about.

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A Time I Needed my Intuition

We had come to a fork in the trail. Although we had a topographical map in front of us, and several days experience, we simply could not agree which path to take. Our leader told us that night we had discussed it for five hours before making a decision. I'm here to tell the story, so we obviously made a decision that got us somewhere closer to our goal. We had no wristwatches, just a deep-felt need to make the "right" decision.

My understanding of the world back then dictated that only one of those paths could be right. I was the leader for the day, so I felt an extra measure of responsibility (and fear) to make sure we chose the right path. Imagine if I had understood the concept of intuition back then.

What is Intuition?

Intuition is the feeling or sense that a particular decision is the right one and is based on instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning. Intuition and conscience are bedfellows, and we all have the ability to listen to that inner wisdom or to override it. Because intuition often comes in small bursts, it can be a little too easy to stride forth without taking it into account.

An intuitive sense becomes stronger as we act on it. I recognize my own intuitions as being very subtle and gentle, and accessible to me the more calm I am inside.

I've overridden my conscience quite a few times when it comes to anything having to do with immediate gratification. My intuition has instructed me to forego a certain food, but I have had it anyway. My intuition has told me to get up from the bed or chair or couch, and I have insisted upon staying put, refusing to act on something that was instructing me to move.

So What?

When I finally came to accept that my intuition is actually my inner wisdom and is something to listen to and act on, I began to experience some interesting happenings. Of primary importance to me is that the net result of acting on intuition is a confidence that the choice I made was the very best one I could have made.

Quite often, my intuition has prompted me to reach out to another in some way; to pay attention to someone, or give to them, or speak to them, or listen to them. As a matter of fact, my intuition often prompts me to extend those same courtesies to myself: pay attention to myself, give something to myself, listen to myself.

I find that my intuition comes to bear quite often when I write, and the closer I listen to that still, small voice, the happier I am with the outcome.

Intuition comes to us in similar ways each time. For me, it is a small sensation in my center; almost a little signal flag going up. Once I am aware of the sensation, I bring my rational mind to bear on the intuition, recognizing that the intuitive instinct might be different than I would typically think to do.

Now What?

The more I (and you) are attuned to instinct and intuition, the more we will notice it. The more we act on it and experience the positive outcomes, the more certain we can be that we are tuning into our actual intuition. Keep in mind that if something doesn't feel right, that means there is something wrong. Listen to your gut.

In what form does your intuition come to you? Where do you notice it in your body? What helps you know you can trust your gut instincts?

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