A Superpower Called Intuition

Three weeks ago I watched movers pack up my apartment swaddling my belongings into reams of cream colored paper. Items emptied into cardboard boxes, taped up, and one by one carried out the front door and into the moving van. A few days later I loaded the remaining items in my car. Plants, a suitcase full of clothes and toiletries, boxes of keepsakes, blankets, and pillows (the important stuff) and I set off on a 1,720 mile journey to my new home in California. Three weeks ago I left Kansas City after calling it home for the past 11 years, leaving behind friends and moving further away from my family. The three day road trip was exciting and terrifying (was I going to be safe by myself for three days on the road?).

Most people questioned why I chose to drive instead of fly so I could arrive the same day I left. The answer is my intuition. I knew in every fiber of my being that flying to arrive in one day with no transition time was simply not an option. My intuition told me I had to take the time to drive. Yes, my intuition led me to jump into my car to drive thousands of miles from home towards so many unknowns halfway across the country.

The more people questioned me, the more I questioned myself but one day as I was explaining for the umpteenth time that yes I was in fact driving, I had an epiphany. This journey didn’t start three weeks ago. It began years before when I started listening to my intuition. In the past five years it has never steered me wrong even during the times I questioned its direction. As I look back at the uncertain moments I see breakthroughs and lessons learned. I see life unfolding before me in a brilliant mosaic of experiences and memories. My three day drive proved to be no different. Every mile I drove I felt the fear dissipate and uncertainty shrink. Each mile closer to my destination also made me realize my own strength. This was the reason my intuition said drive. A chance to overcome fears and make new memories with some self-love and bravery mixed in.

You know the amazing thing? We all have this fun little superpower called intuition. It’s a pretty neat little aspect of being human. An internal compass pointing us in the direction to say yes to our dreams, overcoming fears to live instead of hide, or facing parts of ourselves that need to grow or change for us to truly be happy. It’s that gut feeling hidden behind manners. Say no when you mean no kind of feeling or scream a loud yes when it just feels like the absolute rightest thing to say yes to. It’s that nudge you feel from the universe when you get brave enough to start that creative project you’ve been thinking about for years. It’s those chance meetings when you feel an urge to strike up a conversation with a stranger that becomes so much more. It’s listening to yourself instead of the noise of the world.

It’s not a snap of your fingers kind of magic though. It’s a practice every day and life becomes amazing even in the hard times kind of magic.

So how do you start?

Pay attention to the first feeling you have in a situation or about something.

Your first feeling, the one before your brain ‘turns on’, is usually the truest. Our mental workings tend to muck things up with over analyzing and the first feeling gets lost in the waves of uncertainty.

Acknowledge your emotions.

Awareness of your emotions is important. Allow yourself to feel each one, acknowledging the root cause can provide answers and clarity in moments of uncertainty.

Focus on the sensations or feelings in your body when you make a decision.

Our bodies chemically react to thoughts and emotions which can be felt throughout your body in different ways. Did you actually get a feeling in your gut when you thought about your decision? Did you get a tingling sensation up your arms? Did you feel calming peace wash over you?

Practice mindfulness and meditate.

Both practices keep your thoughts present and clear allowing you to be more aware of your mind and body. This helps you recognize when you already know the answers.

Most importantly...practice, practice, practice. Every day presents new challenges and new struggles. Intuition is your North Star providing a constant reminder of the way home. If you don’t learn your directions first though you’ll never find your way.