Let's talk about intuition - what it is and how to utilize it!
Today as I was perusing the Internet - specifically YouTube, to see what type of information has been coming out about utilizing our intuition to help with life's little (or big) hurdles, I came up with just about every message, promise, course, approach you can imagine.
Clearly, talk about using intuition is gaining momentum like a fast moving train. But why is this understanding so in demand these days? It appears that more and more people are finally surrendering to the idea that the rational approach used in isolation, is just not cutting the muster anymore - and that's a good thing!
It seems that trying times - that period which most agree we are in the throws of right now, have a clever habit of pushing people to their limits until they break through them and realize that there were really no limits to begin with - just our belief in them. But there's got to be some inherent tool that we all possess to bust the limits wide open; that which we've heard subtle whispers of from one time or another that can be identified, harnessed and utilized and it's ALWAYS right. You guessed it - it's our intuition!
"The only tuition ones need to pay is IN-Tuition. The only thing it asks is that you PAY attention!"In this "machine culture" for which we dwell, society dictates that logic, rational thinking, delineation through reason, mechanistic approaches make for a well oiled machine (mind). And of course, the more formal education you are able to acquire, the better the mind will work. This has been the central assumption. But if this is the case, then why are so many "well educated" people still struggling to survive, confused about their trajectory in life and unable to maintain a stream of happiness? Answer - overemphasis on the left brain!
There's no secret that our society, particularly in the west has placed an inordinate amount of emphasis on the acquisition of information to tackle any challenge or obstacle - the more knowledge you have of a given situation, the more likely you are to solve it. And so for that, streams of information are coming in that the mind is bombarded with it and thus more confused than ever. There's got to be a way to neatly organize, prioritize and distill this information to get to the bottom of a given matter. But not without a conduit and that's where intuition plays an integral role!
So next question - if we do indeed have this faculty called intuition (and we all do), how do we recognize it? Well, this is different for everyone - everyone! And the first step in engaging this tool is to recognize the channels for which it speaks to us.
Our senses are indeed channels for how information is transmitted to us, whether it be auditory, visual, kinesthetic (feeling) or otherwise, these all serve as a pathway to deliver information directly to the brain.
Our intuition will also use these channels to communicate to us. Often feeling - whether a feeling in the stomach/gut area, heart area or just a subtle sense that you get that can't quite be defined as a physical sensation but just a knowing feeling, these are all being conveyed through the kinesthetic channel.
Again, your channel for receiving might be something other than feeling, like getting a flash in your "mind's eye" or hearing a voice tell you something or even see a sign on the road or hear something that someone might arbitrarily say in conversation that speaks to you in a profound way. This too is intuition - It uses the entire universe to conspire to message you with what it is you need to know.
So first, identify what your receiving channel is (often the same as your learning style) and then you'll be one step closer to recognizing your intuition.
Next, practice delineating your intuitive hunches from other information (remember, the left brain is always working over time - that coupled with the information it's taking in, it can be difficult to sort it all out). One clue to recognizing intuition is its subtlety and swiftness. Often, an intuitive hunch will be a very quick flash, so quick in fact that you are apt to miss it! This is not always the case - sometimes it will be a repetitive pattern that just won't go away, but frequently the more subtle and quick the "hit" the more likely it is your intuition. Practice identifying that quick "whooosh" in which ever way it comes in: visual, auditory or feeling and when you get it - you got it!
Now, ACT on it! This is probably the most challenging for people because we have been so indoctrinated into taking the safe (i.e. practical, rational, logical route) that this will seem foreign. But try it out with some small things. Ask your (other) self - the intuition - some questions. Should I take the highway or side streets? Should I call this person right now or wait until tomorrow? ...etc. Take baby steps at first, just to test your tuning in mechanism and as you do, you will begin to strengthen the intuitive muscle.
This does take practice, but once you've first convinced yourself that your intuition does exist, second, identify the pathways the intuition will travel to speak to you and third, ACT ON IT, you will be well on your way to making this wonderful tool a part of your arsenal for life!
It's there - always has been - always will be - NOW is the time to put it to good use!
Learn more about integrating intuition into your life!
