Intuition

I am sure we have all had to make a decision in our lives and somehow we know exactly what the choice must be – almost like a gut feeling.  They say you should always go with that gut feeling and not change your decision because somehow, without knowing how and where it has come from, it is the correct one.   Like creativity, intuitive inspiration most likely happens when we are highly focused on a certain activity in a state of joy and fulfilment.

Most of us have made many intuitive decisions in our lives.  You might meet someone for the first time and know that it is your soul mate or walk into a job interview and just know that is what you want to do.  Finding the exact home you have been looking for is a great example. These decisions can also crop up in a simpler ways like selecting a meal, your next book to read and how to dress for the day.

This is the definition of intuition:

 Immediate insight into a fact or feeling without using any process of reasoning.

The ability to understand something immediately without the need for conscious reasoning.

Intuitive decision making is far more than using common sense because it involves additional sensors to perceive and get aware of the information from outside.  Sometimes it is referred to as sixth sense, inner sense, instinct, inner voice or spiritual guide.   It is related to developing a higher consciousness in order to train these sensors and to make the process of receiving information intuitively a more conscious one.  People who can't accept the existence of such sensors may instead call it tapping into “collective intelligence" or “collective unconscious".

This is what a few famous people have had to say about intuition:

Albert Einstein

Theoretical physicist who is widely considered one of the greatest physicists of all time. Best known for the theory of relativity, Nobel Prize in Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect and "for his services to Theoretical Physics":

“The only real valuable thing is intuition”.

“There is no logical way to the discovery of these elemental laws. There is only the way of intuition, which is helped by a feeling for the order lying behind the appearance”.

Alexis Carrel

French surgeon, biologist and eugenicist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine:

“All great men are gifted with intuition. They know without reasoning or analysis, what they need to know”.

“Intuition comes very close to clairvoyance; it appears to be the extrasensory perception of reality”.

Robert Graves

English poet, scholar, and novelist:

“«Intuition is the supra-logic that cuts out all the routine processes of thought and leaps straight from the problem to the answer”.

Lao Tzu

Ancient Chinese philosopher:

“The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your days”.

Anne Wilson Schaef

Writer and lecturer:

“Trusting our intuition often saves us from disaster”.

Andie MacDowell

American screen actress:

“I think women have an innate ability to be intuitive with people that they truly love, but they have to trust that inner voice, and I think it is there. I think we are more intuitive than men”.

I have always wanted to write a book based on my life experiences.  About a month ago, I received an email saying that Steve Harrison and Jack Canfield were doing a webathon on book writing so I signed up.  As the sound was rather bad, I started following the chat at the bottom of the page and someone suggested we all open a Facebook page for authors – I think I was the first one to sign up!

Through this I came to hear of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and thought what a great opportunity to start off writing on a daily basis and get motivated.  So I signed up, rather late, for that.  Strangely enough as I was pondering what to write my next article on, I came across this interesting article I would like to share with you – definitely intuition at play! 

Jack Canfield on Intuition

For most people, early education and training taught us to look out outside of ourselves for the answers to our questions. But we have the answers we need inside. Our unconscious mind is the source of our hidden genius.

Everyone has intuition. Successful people learn to develop this muscle and follow their inner guidance. If you want to leverage your innate wisdom to create greater success, you must learn to tap into your intuition at will.

Recognize When Your Intuition Speaks

To be able to use your intuition, you must able to recognize when it is speaking. Intuition is not loud and demanding. It is subtle and appears differently for different people.

Some people receive messages as visions or images, which can appear in quick flashes or unfold slowly, like a movie. Your intuition might speak to you as a hunch, a thought or in words. You may even find that you are able to dialogue with your intuition to get more information and clarity.

You might notice physical sensations, such as goose bumps, discomfort in your gut, a feeling of relief or a sour taste in your mouth. Others experience intuitive messages through emotions, such as feelings of uneasiness or confusion when their intuition is trying to steer them away from something or, when the message is positive, feelings of euphoria and profound peace. Sometimes intuitive messages are simply a deep sense of knowing and certainty; if you’ve ever said “I felt it in my heart” or “I knew is in the depth of my soul,” chances are it was a message from your intuition.

Deepen Your Intuition

Although intuition is something everyone has, you must cultivate it to receive the maximum benefit. Here are 5 tips to help you access and use your intuition to greater effect.

•    Use meditation to deepen your intuition. Regular meditation will help you clear your mind of distractions, as well as teach you how to better recognize the subtle impulses from within. As you become more attuned to your inner world, you’ll be able to more quickly and easily pick out the sound of your higher self or higher power speaking to you through words, images and sensations.

•    Make time to listen. Life is busy, and in the rush to achieve our tasks and goals, it’s easy to forget to stop and tune into our higher wisdom.  Your most valuable wisdom comes through when you are open to receiving it. Devote time every day – and even multiple times each day – to consciously giving your intuition centre stage.

•    Ask questions. Don’t be passive when communicating with your intuition. Step up and ask for answers to the questions you are struggling with.

•    Write down your answers. Intuitive impressions are subtle and can “evaporate” quickly. Neuroscience research indicates that intuitive insights not captured within 37 seconds will likely never be recalled again. Many people find journal writing to be a highly effective way to access their intuition. Try it – you’ll be amazed at the clarity of what comes through.

•    Take immediate action. When you act on the information you receive, you’ll find that you get more and more intuitive impulses. After a while, you’ll be living in flow. Intuition works best when we trust it. The more you demonstrate faith in your intuition, the more you will see the results in your life.

Whether you want to make more money, make better decisions, solve problems more quickly, or create winning plans, tuning into your intuition will help you achieve your goals. Trusting your intuition is trusting yourself. The more you trust yourself, the more success you will have.

Note:

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at:  www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com