Have you ever made a choice that didn’t seem to make sense to anyone else but just “felt right”? I chuckle as I look back at my life and see how the biggest, most important, and best decisions I’ve made were based on a feeling, not knowing much about the direction I took. There was no analyzing the pros and cons or lengthy spreadsheets in the decision-making process.

Deciding to learn English while living in a slum in a Spanish speaking country. Moving to the USA, leaving my best friends, my family, my corporate job, the first home I purchased, and everything I love behind. The strong urge to quit my job as a single mom and become an entrepreneur. Homeschooling my daughters when I didn’t have much of an idea of what that even meant. Getting re-married…

There are so many instances I can recall, and in each case, I can’t explain or articulate how “somehow, I just knew.” In retrospect, I often wonder “what was I thinking?” If I’m honest, I wasn’t thinking; I was feeling. In each of those moments, I was tuning into a divine voice, an inbuilt radar most call the intuition. Steve Jobs once said: “have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. Everything else is secondary.“

One of the biggest challenges we are faced with as mothers, as women, and humans, is to have the courage and vulnerability to harness our intuition. Not listening to your gut can cause you to feel drained, depressed, and depleted… and I should know.

• How many times have you heard your inner voice talk?
• Did you listen to your intuition, then acted on it?
• Did you ignore or dismiss the prompting? 

The number one regret for moms worldwide is “I should have trusted my gut.” They had an inexplicable moment of certainty about something, they had a sudden funny feeling, they wanted something that was “not logical or rational enough,” but they didn’t speak up, they didn’t pursue it, they walked away… 

As children of God, we all possess the power of intuition, the ability to receive personal revelation, but we don’t consciously access it. Our intuition is “the mind of God.”

It is difficult to tap into our intuition, partly because we are constantly told that thinking is more important than feeling, and partly because of fear: of failure, embarrassment, and discomfort. We also fear success, growth, and transformation, so it is natural that we rationalize and settle and choose what looks good on paper, what we think we “should” do, rather than honoring what we truly desire.

Or even worse, we are paralyzed, “waiting on God,” when He has already given us ideas, resources, and a green light to act.

When we listen to the still small voice, we have the ability to obtain clarity, focus, and direction in our lives:

• Your intuition can help discern the truth in all things, and allow truth to be revealed
• Your intuition can help you take risks that are necessary for your progress
• Your intuition can help you make wiser, more empowering and authentic choices
• Your intuition can help you recognize when someone needs your help
• Your intuition can help you distinguish real threats from imagined ones

Your intuition is a powerful asset that provides vital information, caution and counsel that can dramatically improve your life. I know many people whose lives have been saved because they felt a flash of insight and somehow knew something was “off.” 

I’m sure you’ve heard Oprah attribute her success to her intuition. Conrad Hilton was known for “Connie’s hunches” when making business decisions. Many Fortune 500 companies were created with Jay Conrad Levinson‘s 7-sentence guerrilla marketing plan in just 5 minutes, by writing from instinct, accessing the unconscious mind.

Science claims that only 20 percent of the brain’s gray matter is used for conscious thoughts, while 80 percent is dedicated to non-conscious thoughts. A lot of research suggests to “think less about those choices that you care a lot about.” 

I love this Albert Einstein quote about our mental faculties: “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” Have you forgotten the gift?

God communicates with us through a sixth sense, an inner sense, an inner voice, that serves as a spiritual guide when we are confused, when we’re stuck at a crossroads and don’t know which way to go. When you tap into this intuitive intelligence, it can protect and support you when you need it most, so doing so is a critical skill we must acquire.

How to Harness Your Intuition

Being willing to listen, without judgment or rationalization, is sometimes all you must do to tap into these valuable impressions. When you set the intention to access this infinite innate wisdom, you give it the space to be heard. You only make decisions based on facts, and you don’t always have all the facts.

These five techniques can help you develop your ability to tune into your intuition:

Be Still

God is constantly talking to us through inspired insights, but there’s so much noise, busyness, and clutter around us that we are often distracted. I know that quiet, calm, reflective moments are even harder when kids are young, have extraordinary needs, or when times are especially stressful and challenging, but it is really possible and necessary.

When you clear your mind and let it wander, stepping away from the chaos that can sometimes show up in life as a mom, you can get a deeper sense of understanding, you can access your higher self, imagination, and inner knowing. I think this is why most people have aha moments in the shower! 

Listen to your body

Your intuition often shows up as a subtle or strong body signal. God designed our body as a powerful intuitive messenger, sending visceral reactions that occur before we even have a chance to think (or overthink). A funny tingle, a quirky knot, an eery feeling, goosebumps, cramps, nausea, sweaty palms, a tight chest, and other physical sensations speak to teach us, warn us, and reassure us in different situations.

Science associates these feelings with a “second brain” housed in the intestines, called the enteric nervous system. This “intuitive brain” is a network of neurons that process information almost instantaneously. This is why we call our intuition “gut.”

Ask for Inner Guidance

Do you ever pray? The Bible teaches us the importance of asking, seeking, and knocking. Our humanity tempts us to overthink, when sometimes getting inner guidance is just a matter of asking for it.

Which is the best direction for me? 

Is ___ the right decision for me?

How can I move forward with ___?

When you ask, with real intent, you must listen for the sensations and whisperings you receive.

Keep an intuition journal

Even if writing has not been your thing, it is a great tool to create the life you want. You can use prompts like:

God wants me to know…

My intuition wants to tell me that…

I have a feeling that…

Your intuition journal will be a safe space to remove your blocks, and process your thoughts and feelings. As you allow the words to pour out of you, your intuitive power will grow.

Because recalling a dream can sometimes be so difficult, make sure you also keep your intuition journal near your bed. Some of my most successful training programs and branding ideas have come during a dream. 

Exercise the right side of your brain

Intuition comes from the right hemisphere of the brain, so any creative activities you engage in will be great practice to strengthen your intuitive abilities. Painting, visualizing, brainstorming, dancing, or music, can stimulate this supernal gift.

Beware that sometimes, instead of tapping into your intuition, you may end up listening to your inner bully. It’s important to be conscious so you don’t confuse your intuition ego-based or fear-based thinking, a trigger because of past wounds, issues, and insecurities. Decisions based on this type of thinking can limit, block, and sabotage you.

Your reaction could also be hopeful or wishful thinking, so there are ways to know when the thought or sensation you are experiencing comes from God: it feels peaceful, it feels healthy, it feels right, it is not forced or highly emotionally charged, and it is conveyed clearly. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV)

If you’re feeling a bit skeptical, I get it. It can be hard to make life-changing and life-saving choices based on something you don’t understand and that may not be infallible. I invite you to find the right balance between intuitive and rational thinking, by evaluating your thoughts, feelings, and sensations, against your data and facts (we never have ALL the facts!).

I am so grateful that we can have divine help from within and from above in our daily lives, and it is a sacred obligation and opportunity to align myself with the path and purpose that God wants me to follow. As you decide to live a more intuitive life, you will be more in the moment, and this mindfulness will create more joy, balance, and success in all areas of your life.

Do you constantly harness your intuition? Tell us of a time you made your decisions based on something you felt after praying, or when you had a strange hunch. Did you switch careers? Marry? Avoid an unseen danger? Seize an opportunity? I am looking forward to reading your answer! xo

[ela]