I learned a valuable lesson recently. I went apartment hunting with my daughter in Arizona. We planned this trip for spring break because this summer she is graduating from college and moving out on her own. It’s so exciting! SHe told me a couple of months ago that she was going to Arizona to sign a lease. I told her not to get her hopes up and that it wasn’t likely that she would actually sign a aleae, we were just going to look. Then when we got our nails done and told the lady our plans to find an apartment she said, “good luck with that. Apartments are hard to find out here.” That just further validated my fear and worry that finding an apartment might not be just that easy.
We looked around and found a few places that looked nice. At one of the complexes we were able to schedule a tour. The more we looked the more apparent it became that that particular apartment was likely going to be our best bet. We came back and she did the tour and there it was. She turned in the application and two days later….a lease!!! After the tour we celebrated with dinner and she told me she knew it was going to happen that way. She actually told the waitress, “I knew I’d sign a lease but my mom didn’t believe me.” I agreed and admitted I was wrong while we both laughed. I was happy to be wrong in this instance!
What really stuck with me about this experience was how different the knowing looks from the outside. I have often lived my life just knowing what I would do next. Sometimes the decisions I make are not crazy unreasonable and make sense to others. But often the things I’ve done do not make sense on the surface and people might try to talk me out of them. Kind of like I did with my daughter. It was really cool to watch her start to trust her own gut feelings and see that validated.
When I google the definition of intuition this is what comes up: “a thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning.” I believe that everyone has intuition but some of us are better at listening to it than others. We all have “gut feelings.” There is even research being done about the gut being considered the second brain. Sometimes what we know in our gut is more powerful than what we know in our heads.
Intuition is the wisdom formed by feeling and instinct – a gift of knowing without reasoning… Belief is ignited by hope and supported by facts and evidence – it builds alignment and creates confidence. Belief is what sets energy in motion and creates the success that breeds more success.
Angela Ahrendts
One way that I’ve learned to listen to my intuition is to get quiet. Whether that’s going for a drive, praying or meditation, if I’m feeling disconnected from my intuition this is a good way to get back on track. I often feel my way through a decision. I think about how I’ll feel if I choose one way or another. Sometimes I’ll feel sick to my stomach when I think of a particular decision or elated and excited about something else. When we get quiet and listen to our feelings that is when intuition can be the strongest.
It is so important that we learn to open up to, listen to and eventually trust our intuition. This is a valuable source of information and insight. If we can truly be more in touch with this way of knowing there is no telling what we might accomplish in the world. I’ve used my intuition to know how to parent my kids even though the parenting magazines say something different. I used my intuition to start my own business and even move up the timeline because it felt like the right thing to do. I’ve used my intuition to make financial decisions. I’ve come to trust and rely on that other sense to help me in my day to day life. I’m super grateful that I’ve also been able to witness my daughter begin to trust her own sense of knowing. I hope that you will do the same, listen, trust and then act on your…
