It's become a bit of a cliche to say that you have it all within you, but cliches tend to exist because there is an element of truth.
And I certainly believe that when it comes to our intuition... that we possess a certain knowing that will always lead us in the right direction... if we choose to listen.
'Your gut is never wrong,' is something that one of my oldest friends has said to me time and time again. But she's often said it when I've missed the trick of listening to it and we're discussing the back end of what went wrong because I didn't.
And that's not to say that we are to blame for what goes wrong when we don't listen, but it is to say that we need to learn to lean in and listen more to make choices that serve us more than they spite us.
But sometimes that's easier said than done, particularly in this crazy-busy world we live in.
And sometimes, listening to our gut feels like a leap towards an assumption that might not be true.
Gut Assumptions
I don't like to make assumptions about anyone. And I love to greet people with an open heart and mind. But it's been important for me to maintain that whilst at the same time making sure my needs are met. And that in my interactions with people I don't find myself in a position where I get burnt, because I have been. And when that happens, not only does it hurt but it takes a lot of energy to come back from it.
And so, if that's been you or you find that you struggle to feel your way towards all that you want for yourself, working with your intuition is the only way.
It is there to serve your deepest and highest needs!
Meeting my needs means...
Maintaining my bottom line of what I'm willing to tolerate in terms of how people treat me to ensure that bottom line isn't crossed.
Trusting myself to listen to my gut feelings that always know and speak the truth.
Respecting both my bottom line and my inner voice in the way they deserve because they safeguard my well being and keep me aligned with all that I want.
There is nothing worse than ignoring your gut only to get hurt or take you off the path that you have been called to walk.
The sound of your intuition
We sense our intuition in different ways. Sometimes it's through a surge to the stomach or a sudden pressure in your chest. It might be a voice you hear within, tingles you feel on your skin, your throat or your voice restricting, a funny taste or a dryness in your mouth or your eyes can either cloud over or a sudden clarity appears where you can see right through the crap that was once hidden to you.
All or none of this may be true for you. Only by tuning in will you know how your intuition communicates with you.
It's a knowing you can't always explain
How the intuition comes about isn't always clear, but there's no doubt you sensed it in one way or another, at a specific point in time when you needed it. That much you do know.
That wonderful thing called hindsight often serves to show you afterwards and the 'ah ha' moment becomes clear.
And although you then realise that you knew that your intuition was clear in the moment, and sometimes where the knowing came from, it isn't always obvious at the time unless you've learnt to tune in.
But when you look back and realise you are now able to validate that what you felt was actually correct, you can begin to learn what your warning signs are, what they're telling you, and how you were aroused at the time by all that was trying to speak to you.
It's bloody magic if you ask me!
The signs we ignore
I once recall meeting a man who was attractive, but on first meeting him I found his behaviour to be challenging, and if I'm honest, predatory. And I felt that right off the bat as his eyes scanned me like a piece of meat during a meeting I had with him that he clearly wasn't interested in.
Our innate and animalistic warning system is very attuned to picking things up like that, just as the gazelle is in the presence of a lion.
But my mind kicked in every time I met with this man, overriding my gut feeling as I asked my intuition to step aside and stop making assumptions so soon.
And why did I do this?
I did it because I understood the pang of energy that whacked me in the stomach every time he was around as arousal, when in fact I later learnt to read that same sense as a pang of fear asking me to back away from this cold hearted beast.
I learnt that one the hard way!
The Brain Reigns... for a while...
The amygdala, which is a fundamental part of our brain for regulating emotion when we face a threat, has a magnificent talent for helping us when we need it. When we're in a state of fear, as the gazelle is in the company of a lion, our inner sense kicks in. And when I was in the presence of the man I describe, my amygdala kicked in to warn me to retreat... but I didn't read it that way right away.
In the presence of the threat I was confronted with, in a professional setting, my mind rationalised that I was safe. There was no need to run when I could face the threat and meet his evident challenge. And so, as all the adrenaline that was rising coursed through my body, and my eyes told me that the man was attractive, I misunderstood my warning system.
It's a common entanglement in the presence of an attractive prospect that we read the same physiological responses orchestrated by the amygdala for both fear and arousal, and pick the wrong one based on the visual cues in front of us.
And when that happens, we can lean away from our intuition and follow the tricks of our mind.
The Gut That Feeds You
When our brain overrides our gut to the point we misunderstand our intuitive calls, we often make decisions that spite us rather than serve us. We do so because we confuse the truth for what our mind wants us to think, due to all the cues we find ourselves listening to that actually reside outside of us.
The ones that call louder than our own voice when we're stressed, burnt out and not looking after ourselves, which I wasn't when I fell for the wizardry of the office predator I'd met at work.
And this is when we need to catch ourselves and look after our whole being to remain strong and align with our inner presence. The inner world that is always there for us to lean into, and all we have to do is listen.
By tuning inward and listening to the subtle yet strong messages communicating within us, we will hear our truth. The one that will serve both our needs and wants and protect us from anything that serves to spite us.
And when it sounds that easy, it's a wonder that we ever get it wrong.
BUT...
To do that...
We really have to look after the gut that feeds us!
Voices in my Head Means Madness
Whether you want to admit or not, you listen to voices in your head, gut and heart all the time. They help you decide in a subtle (sensing) way and a more obvious (logical) way. There is also the voice that berates you. The one that tells you you're not good enough or you've done wrong, blames you and blocks you for all the reasons it wants to say, if you let it.
The unhelpful voice: the one that will stand in your way if you let. The one that will spite you if you give it free reign. But there's an easy way to limit how much it gets away with if you begin to lean in to your inner space in an intuitive way.
Learn to lean in and listen to the loving and helpful voice. The subtle one. The one that calls softly from within rather than shouting at you with attacks. It has a motherly tone that is gentle and offers a message that feels nurturing and protective.
It might be stern sometimes, but only because it wants you to stay safe and not get hurt.
This voice will always feed you what you need, whether its a sharp and sudden warning to dodge a fire bolt or gentle guidance to help you see a new way forward that serves you better.
Serving Yourself
When I talk about serving yourself, I mean in terms of ensuring you meet your basic needs.
Ensuring you find the healing you need to forgive and release yourself from your past, to help you soar towards all that your heart has in store for you. If you allow it.
The things that your heart always knows you are worthy of.
The things that you just need your mind to step out of the way to help you reach.
Serving yourself is the simple things, like caring for your health, nurturing your relationships, seeking a solid spiritual union with yourself and feeling into who you are and accepting all of it.
By serving yourself you will only ever serve others more.
And so it's not selfish to serve yourself first.
You cannot serve us water from an empty well.
Your well has to be full first.
Fullness & Forgiveness
By ensuring you are energetically full and by forgiving your past, you can place yourself in a more powerful position to listen in, and stand by all that your heart wants for you.
And to fill your energetic well, it's essential that you rest when you need to, take time for yourself alone, nourish your body and sit in the silence of your breath removed from the outside world.
Just five minutes to begin with will serve you well.
And by serving yourself this simple treat, you will learn to understand your inner voice, recognise how she speaks to you, and begin to understand what she wants for you.
And from there, you will be better placed to understand what she is saying to you at times when you really need her.
You will feel more connected to her, to head the warnings as ones that you must obey because the are entirely designed for you.
Tuning In
By taking short bursts of time to tune into your intuition, the voice of SHE will become your best friend.
Not only will she warn you when you need her, and warn you in a way that you will want to obey, but in time, her gentle whisper will feel empowered to lead your way every day.
There are secrets within you that are so important for you to know. The things that will lead you towards all that you really want for yourself.
Insights that can lead you towards a the life you want.
A sense that will serve you well.
A voice that will help you to be brave in life, find the tenacity you need to convict to all that you want, and find creative ways to fulfil all of it; all that resides in your heart.
You are the way
You truly do have it all within you.
You have what it takes to lead your own way and guide you to the support you need to reach your goals.
You have the sense within you to heal what has hurt you, and a heart that is strong enough to invoke all the change you seek.
So...
Take time out (just five minutes a day)
Tune in to you (listen to your breath)
Slow down as you breathe deeply (nourishing all that you are)
And just listen (hold the space for you).
You are worth five minutes a day. If nothing else, please gift yourself that, and see what happens as you listen in.
It may be painful to begin with, so persevere and forgive as you release, with fullness of breath as you meander your way towards all that you seek.
Slowly but surely!
May you hear how beautiful you are form the words of your heart because SHE, that subtle voice within always speaks the truth.
Best Wishes
Marie
