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“Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.” - Jonas Salk

We all have intuition. Yes, even you. Deep down, we all know what is best for us. But you may be confused as to what intuition actually is.

Intuition is defined as the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. We know it best as the inner voice that whispers to us, telling us what is right or wrong, what is truth or a falsehood, what is safe or dangerous.

We often say that we have a feeling about something. Whether it's a good feeling or one that is uneasy, these feelings are your instincts speaking to you through your physical body. It's what I call tangible intuition.

Tangible intuition can offer you a wealth of information. It tells you when to take action or to wait. Through your body, intuition will advise when you are in alignment with your goal or your higher good, and when you are not. This intuitive insight helps you discern which direction to go in life, even if that might be to stay where you are for the time being. You are given information about the people around you, the situations you find yourself in, and the possibility of danger. You can feel it. These signals should be heeded, because they are gifts.

An uncomfortable situation, one where you feel uneasy, is your body telling you what you already know: It's time to leave. And, chances are, we've all had an experience when we didn't listen to that guidance—and really wish we had. All of these signals are clues that will help you to better hear your body's “language” and clearly understand your intuition. Listening to that inner voice helps us to stay true to ourselves, and be honest with others.

It's no mystery that your body is constantly communicating with you. It tells you simple things, like you are hungry, thirsty or coming down with an illness. And we learn to listen to those signals pretty clearly. Your stomach may not growl, but that light-headed feeling might remind you that it's time for lunch. The telltale tickle in your throat could be signaling the onset of a cold. These are basic body communications that we all understand. Still, how often have we ignored those basic signals? We do this because we are preoccupied, too busy, too stressed or are simply in denial.

Intuition is another way your body speaks to you. It may be more complex than the communication of hunger, but it is as easy to understand when you learn to “hear” your body. This form of communication provides insights, confirmations or caveats. Yet, these signals can also be overlooked when we are preoccupied, too busy, too stressed, in denial, or we simply don't like the information we are given.

Like it or not, intuition will always be honest to you. It is your truth. And, as hard as that truth might be at times, it comes without judgment. Your truth is not about morals or societal rules. It is that which is in accordance with your highest good. Truth is different for each person and, unfortunately, that truth may not necessarily be what you want—but it is always what is good and right for you.

While we know our truth, we may often feel that we are not able access that information clearly. Stress, a hectic life, the influence of others' opinions, a lack of trust, or—more often than not—our fear can keep us from hearing our inner voice, and believing what we feel.

We have a tendency to rationalize a situation rather than trust our inner guidance, mostly because we believe we can trust the “facts” we have before us and are afraid to rely on something as fleeting as a feeling. And, when we are afraid, we aren't going to get all the information we need. We get stuck, blocked by our emotions. We might choose to go against our intuition to avoid looking foolish or appearing impolite. We might let other influences steer us, be it the input of others or a familiar pattern, instead of listening to our inner guidance.

How often has that worked for you?

We have a tendency to go with what is most familiar and, therefore, most comfortable. Unfortunately, the sensations of fear and stress are probably all too familiar for most of us. Anxiety might be experienced as clammy hands, stomach distress or a lack of sleep. Tension may bring headaches, tight shoulders or clenched muscles. We might experience the discomfort of a stress-induced backache or stiff neck. These symptoms are your body's way of telling you to take care of yourself and work to remedy the situation causing this unease. Hopefully, you will listen to those signals, or you may end up with a bill from a chiropractor or massage therapist, or taking a sick day from work. Listening to the basic advice of your body is the first step in connecting with your intuition.

The next step is getting comfortable with the fact that you have a strong intuitive sense. The ability to clearly hear your intuition is directly related to your level of confidence. Trusting yourself, valuing your worth and believing that you are deserving are keys to gaining clarity through your intuition. The higher the level of stress or fear you have, the less you will hear your inner voice. Conversely, the more at ease you are with yourself, the more clearly you will understand and trust your intuition. And, by this, the more you listen to your intuition, the more confidence you will have with yourself, and in all aspects of your life. Did that come off as me speaking in one big circle? Good! That's how intertwined your intuition is with your confidence. Believing in yourself is key to all things in life, but especially with connecting to your intuitive side.

Sometimes, with all the stress and outside influences in your life, you may realize what your inner voice was trying to tell you after the fact, which is usually when you are more calm and a bit more removed from the situation. That's okay; it's part of the learning process. When you look back, you may remember the feeling you had and the message that was given. You may even recall the moment it came through. You might also remember the feeling you had when you decided not to heed that signal. Take note of what you learn in hindsight. (Jot down the memories you had just now in your Journal Pages located at the end of this and each chapter.) The more you work with your intuition and recall the sensations it sends you, the more you will be able trust it. Your inner voice will speak more clearly to you, and you will have greater confidence in its guidance and the choices you make.

So, what exactly is your intuition telling you?

Your inner voice is the unbiased and sometimes inexplicable truth that guides you to your highest good. This truth has no agenda except to show you the paths that are in alignment with your best interests, the most elegant ways of taking action, and to life-enriching experiences.

This is why the inner voice is so important. Its source is pristine. It has no attachment. It is only truth. You may not understand why it says what it says but, if you trust it and infuse logic to the application, you cannot go wrong.

I had this confirmed for me while I was writing my first book, Exploring Your Potential. Because I'm more of a speaker than a writer, I was in need of a professional to help me make my thoughts clear. I was given the name of a local woman who ghostwrites, edits and understood publishing. She had all the skills I was looking for, but I didn't have a good feeling about her. I ignored this feeling and went ahead and met with her. The meeting did little to alleviate my uneasy feeling and—because I was in such need of help to complete my book—I agreed to hire her. The moment I made that decision, I felt a knot in my stomach, but ignored that, too. I know! You would think I would know better, with all my years of understanding and trusting my intuition, but we are all human, and we all make mistakes. I let my desire to get the book done override my intuition.

Every time I contacted her or did anything with the project that required her involvement, the knot in my stomach made itself known. In a short amount of time, what my intuition was telling me about her became clear. She was unresponsive to most communications, which greatly slowed the process and made setting up meetings nearly impossible. Even worse, she didn't complete the work by the deadlines stated in the signed contract. In fact, very little work was done in the four-month period I worked with her. It was extremely frustrating, but I thought, somehow, there would be a way I could make it work with her. Yet, whenever I tried to rationalize my decision, the knot was always there, telling me what I already knew: hiring her was a mistake. Finally, I ended our working relationship and requested a refund of the remaining deposit (which, of course, she took her time to return).

My intuition had told me from the start that she was not the most ideal person for the job, and I ignored it. I was so eager to move forward with the book that I ignored my instinct. I was able to rationalize this choice because I didn't know enough about the world of writing and publishing. She was the only writing professional I knew of at the time and, quite frankly, I didn't want to take the time to research and interview more people. My impatience cost me time and money, and caused a lot of irritation.

Even though I ignored my intuition, it didn't stop warning me. Eventually, I couldn't dismiss that knot in my stomach any longer and I took action. A few weeks after letting go of that ghostwriter, I met another woman who was a writer and editor, and she was able to help me finish the book. The process with her was much faster and easier, and I was much happier. Lesson learned!

Insightful Questions

How do you define intuition?

When did you first become aware of your intuition?

Take a moment to think back to a key situation when you didn't listen to your intuition. How did your intuition speak to you? (What sensation did you feel and where in your body did you feel it?)

Was the outcome of that situation desirable or disappointing? (Provide details and insights.)

How long after the outcome did you realize you missed the signals your intuition was sending you?

The next time you felt that kind of signal in your body, did you listen or respond to it, making another choice? Did you prefer that outcome?

Journal Page

(Please add additional insights here.)

Journal Page