Sometimes we don’t know why…
The dictionary provides the following definition for intuition: “the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning”.
So how does this happen?
According to Psychology Today: “intuition isn’t some magical thing; it’s more like a skill where your unconscious mind quickly looks through all your past experiences and knowledge. Sometimes we call it “gut feelings.” Intuition happens fast and naturally, without us even realizing that our brain is processing all that information.”
With that definition in mind, is there something right now that you know is 100% rationally the correct thing to do, but you are resisting? And maybe you can’t put a finger on why. Is there something right now that you fight to do, dive headfirst into because it is so important to you, but you can’t fully explain why?
Now some fun questions:
- · How did you meet the love of your life?
- · How did you decide where to live?
- · How did you decide to apply for the job you are in today?
- · What places feel good to you? Comfortable, at ease, restful…
- · What places feel not good to you? Rigid, uneasy, heightened…
In business, we are trained to be analytical. Look at data, focus on what we can measure. Be logical. Analytical. Rational. And for goodness sake, please don’t get emotional.
But here’s the thing. Emotions are impossible to remove from humans.
Unless you are a sociopath, you feel things. And what you feel, even when you drown yourself in data, logic, and analysis; plays a part in your decisions, how you show up, and how you prioritize.
If you feel yourself fighting hard for something, but can’t clearly articulate why, try taking some time to write your thoughts down. And then (yes this might seem a bit strange), go to a private place and read aloud what you have written down. This is called self-narration and can be a tool to get at what is going on in your subconscious.
If you find yourself resisting something that is the rational, logical thing to do but you JUST DON’T WANT TO DO IT, try tapping each upper arm with the opposite hand. Or find a private spot to do a little dance, jump around and move your body. Then check in with yourself. Are you good now or still, nope? If a no, can you break it into smaller steps and build yourself a progression to get it done? Or is it deeper than that – just a hard hard no. If that is the case, take the time to dig into why. Perhaps with a friend or trusted colleague. If we can unpack memories, they can lose their charge and their power over us. And then we can assess whether it is intuition or fear that is holding us back. If intuition, listen. If fear, is it truly deeply scary?
All this to say, the mind and body are deeply connected.
Even though I like to believe it, we don’t think our way through life. And our emotional subconscious is profoundly powerful and can propel us forward or hold us back. Take the time to notice it. Maybe go for a walk, do a meditation in whatever form that looks like for you, or go for a hard workout. See what comes up for you. When is the body telling us something (hairs on the back of your neck…, queasy tummy…)? Listen. That is intuition. When is the mind holding us back? (You freeze up, clam up, withdraw…) That is not intuition. That is fear. Sometimes it’s right. But often it is holding us back from the new reality we are trying to create.
So with that, take the time to reflect. And then go forward. Or not.