In today’s day-and-age, we’re often so bombarded by outside stimulation that we don’t have a moment to even think about looking inward. With screens constantly surrounding us, reflecting on how we feel about certain situations isn’t a luxury we often give ourselves. However, that feeling we have in our gut shouldn’t be ignored. This natural cognizant ability is highly important and can provide us with vital information without any proof or evidence – a phenomenon we know as “personal intuition”. Let’s dive in a bit deeper and explore why personal intuition can change our lives for the better.
What Is Personal Intuition?
Have you ever heard of someone not boarding a plane because of an unexplainable feeling that they shouldn’t get on, only to later find out that flight had been delayed, cancelled or had an issue? Maybe you have also had a moment where you felt something just wasn’t quite right and couldn’t explain it – perhaps an overwhelming uneasy sensation or some type of negative premonition.
Many of us resort to being “rational” and ignore that gut feeling because it just isn’t logical. While using reason isn’t a bad thing, our instincts can be very powerful tools, as well. Self intuition isn’t always for negative situations, either. Many times, it will be something seemingly coincidental, like you thinking of a specific person and you two texting each other at the same time.
Personal intuition is essentially data appearing in our consciousness without an obvious reason why (at least, at first). It’s like a little messenger sending us an important letter with information we may not be logically aware of. Having this kind of insight may seem impossible to some, however, try thinking of a cat or dog’s behavior. Their instincts are finely-tuned and transcend countless generations and societal changes. Just like them, we have a set of very important animal instincts that can help us avoid danger or get ahead.
We use intuition in our everyday lives and may not even realize it. As it is directly connected to our flight-or-flight responses, it can be our biggest tool when it comes to protecting ourselves. It can help you select the right career path, choose the right romantic partner, or even make sure you’re at “the right place, at the right time”.
Is Personal Intuition Important?
Are intuitions real and are they important? Yes and yes. While you can’t see intuition on a brainscan and while they may prove challenging to scientists, these illusive processes are very real and can play a big role in decision-making. In our modern-day society, we are often taught to prime our brains for making good decisions, but our bodies often have so much more to say.
This “gut feeling” or “hunch” feels very real in our bodies, and are a kind of subconscious knowledge that is often more reliable than our logical thought processes are. By using personal intuition, it’s possible to access memories and other pieces of information we don’t consciously remember taking in.
You may have heard the term, “put your feelings aside” when it comes to business dealings. However, ignoring our feelings can have serious negative consequences from making poor business decisions or by simply limiting our creative potential. Listening to our intuition can help us heal from past wounds, or be made aware of issues we may not have otherwise noticed.
What Is the Role of Intuition in Making Decisions?
You don’t have to completely rule out your logical thinking in lieu of using intuition to make the right decision. Most times, using a combination of both is ideal. However, personal intuition plays an enormous role, from our everyday lives to massive decisions. In this context, it’s defined as a “non-sequential information-processing mode” which can influence us through emotion and/or cognition.
Our conscious is very logical and we love using it to judge and take apart situations. Maybe you consider yourself to be an overthinker or over-analyze everything. While this isn’t inherently a bad thing, it’s also not an assurance that you’ll have the best outcome. The subconscious or rather unconscious mind can draw from experiences we may not even be aware of, connecting with that gut feeling in a nonlinear manner. It, in itself, is not something we can logically figure out as it is unlike anything else.
In rapidly-changing environments (ones most of us are already constantly subject to), we usually don’t have the time to sit there and analyze a situation. The more complex the situation, the more difficult it can be to try and figure out the right solution. By involving our intuition, we are recruiting more sections of our brain which can be a big help in rapid-fire cases.
In fact, countless CEOs and leaders throughout history of stated that they had to rely largely on their intuition and past experiences in order to make the best possible decision. Again, that combination of data and intuition is very powerful but many of us forget about the latter half.
Common Signs That Your Intuition Is On Point
So, how can you know if your personal intuition is on the mark? Here are some common signs:
- You think of someone then call or text them and they so happen to need a friend in that very moment realize
- You’re somehow always right with your gut feelings – whether it be about people, situations, ideas, etc.
- You have nagging thoughts that you can’t shake
- You’re great at reading other peoples’ energy and take note if someone feels off or you don’t trust them.
- You seem to already know something is going to happen before it actually does
- You experience unexplainable coincidences or patterns – also known as “synchronicities”. These can often be used as markers that you’re on the right track.
- You feel relaxed – particularly in your jaw, chest, and stomach.
- You seem to always avoid danger, whether it be getting goosebumps when you’re around a certain person or avoid walking down a certain street at a certain time.
Want to cultivate better personal intuition? Here are a few things you can try, but it will definitely help with some consistency:
- Practice mindfulness and learn to integrate mindful techniques more and more each day so that it becomes second nature.
- Connect deeper with yourself through various tools such as meditation, Reiki sessions, other forms of energy healing or wellbeing practices.
- List out your should have’s, any big or small moments of regret(s) and keep a diary of them. Review them every week and see if there’s a pattern of thinking or behavior that leads to those moments of regret. Then ask yourself, “what can I do differently?” and try implementing baby steps towards it.
- Or to jump ahead, implement a 3-5 second rule before you immediately respond to anything. Give yourself those every few seconds to check in with yourself, “Is that right thing to me or for me? What does my gut say? Does this feel true (to me)?”
For when you have choose, choose your heart and less with your ego.
