Your intuition is ever present and is always receiving universal guidance; even when all you want to do is ignore it.
For me, it’s not always a whisper that I receive from my intuition. My inner voice sometimes comes in the form of an amplified drumline that just keeps turning up the volume until I listen.
Anyone who overheard the conversation in that dressing room, certainly entertained questions about my sanity and stability. I muttered to myself behind the curtain, as I tried on dresses for an event I was attending. “NO! I am NOT approaching that woman. I am NOT telling her that. NOPE! NOT doing it!”
But my intuition and inner guidance refused to take “NO” for an answer. That internal voice can be relentless, almost always for good reason. I sighed and reluctantly meandered to the counter. Without much eye contact, I engaged the girl behind the cash register. “This may seem a little weird, but can I share a message with you?”
I continued, “I’m being led to tell you that the chicory always shines brightest in the morning sun.” She looked up at me with the widest eyes of shock. She started to ask who I was, how, what; but the words wouldn’t come.
Tears began welling in her eyes. As she told me that her mother used to say that to her, the tears poured over. Her mother had been gone for 10 years and she was still struggling with the grief. As she walked to my car with me, she thanked me for giving her the gift of her mom’s presence and reminding her that her mother would always be with her. She also thanked me for showing her that she had a new opportunity to heal more, every day.
In that moment, I promised myself that I would follow my intuition, no matter how crazy or unusual it seemed. My intuition holds the key to my healing and the healing of those around me, and it is my job to share the message. Understandably, we all have different levels of intuitive guidance. Intuition is a muscle that needs to be used in order to become strong.
Here are 3 simple ways to notice your intuition (without resorting to full, 2-sided conversations in dressing rooms). Now, please understand that simple does not always mean easy, so if any of these feel challenging to you, I urge you not to judge yourself! These take practice. I encourage you to work on noticing and listening to your intuition one, small, attainable step at a time.
1.Inner Nudges. Have you ever felt called to do something, without thinking about it… or should I say overthinking it? That little voice inside you that says, “Buy that book”, is nudging you for a reason. When you get home and open the book, you may find that it contains a critical piece of information, or a quote from your mentor or an ancestor of yours. Those same nudges serve to help us to steer clear of things that are not serving us as well. I was having nudges not to buy bananas. Turns out I am allergic to them and didn’t know, consciously, at the time. My intuition knew that bananas were not serving me and clearly conveyed that message to me. Of course, it took my ego a while to fully lean in and stop buying bananas. Inner nudges can also be referred to as gut feelings. The feeling starts in your body and leads you from there, without the involvement of the ego. It takes your ego approximately 5-10 seconds to talk you out of listening to these nudges, so my best advice to you is to take immediate action!
2.Signs. Some of us are visual learners, so the Universe has that covered, too. I have always kept a symbol journal because I have noticed the connection between certain signs and events in my life. Some of the most interesting and easy to notice signs are from animals. There was a week stretch when I saw literally 14 turtles. One was huge and stopped right in the middle of the road. To me, turtles have always meant that I need to inauspiciously stay the course I am on. This guidance was exactly what I needed that week. Admittedly, the first 9 times the turtle didn’t ring the gong the universe was going for. But as I mentioned, my intuition just keeps getting louder and more obvious when I don’t listen. Enter enormous snapping turtle blocking my path. Sign can show up as clouds, feathers, animals, sounds (including songs) and any number of other things. I invite you to start noticing the signs that are showing up in your world and writing down the circumstances and meanings you assign to them. Note even the things that seem ordinary, but frequent. Signs don’t have to be out of place or unusual. Anything that calls your attention, just may be a sign from the Universe, providing a clue to you about what’s next.
3.Synchronicities. This sign is one of my favorites! Synchronicities may also be referred to as coincidences. Please understand, the universe does not create vibrations that result in a happy coincidence. Synchronicities are orchestrated events that all lead you to exactly the place you are supposed to be. And then they lead you back again, if you don’t acknowledge the message. And then again, and again, and again. The universe is notoriously persistent. A great example of synchronicity is when you are considering taking a job in Denver, but you are hesitant to commit. Then you get a slew of emails about cheap flights to Denver. Then your best friend calls and says she wants to go see a concert at Red Rock, in Denver. Your favorite travel mag features the trendy homes in Denver. And then your mom tells you that the neighbor you have had a crush on for 20 years, just got a transfer to Denver…. Hmmmm? I’m sensing a theme. When all the dots connect at the same point, jump in and take the advice! The universe is weaving the path for you.
The signs and messages from the Universe are the guideposts to your highest and best life. These show up as your intuition. All you have to do is notice the recurring messages that are showing up to lead you to the next guidepost. As you strengthen that muscle, the messages flow more frequently and with ease. You do have to invest trust in your inner voice. If know she always there for you and only interested in you winning, it will be really comfortable to take action on the signs and messages.
These recurring messages can also serve as a warning for things such as your health. If you are one of those people who never get sick, and all of a sudden you have a cold, then you hurt your back, then a sinus infection. You must heed that message. I would interpret that as guidance to slow down and fill your cup. But what really matters is what it means to you. Do you need to clean up your diet? Do you need to honor your boundaries? Do you need to give yourself permission to rest? Listen, she will tell you!
The usefulness of intuition is essential in living a fully aligned purposeful life, personally and professionally. Tapping into your own inner guidance is reliable and always accessible, so use it at every intersection and listen when she calls you!
