People often talk about going with our gut instincts. We ask, “What does your gut say?” when it’s time to make a decision.
Tuning into our intuition is a concept many of us throw around, but it can also be a struggle for a lot of folks. For most of us, we’ve been taught to make “educated decisions.” We’re told to weigh the pros and cons, make lists, consider whether the potential benefits outweigh the risks, and think about every possible scenario of how things could play out before we make any decision. What often happens then, is we are left feeling even more confused about what to do than we did initially.
I recently had a to make a big decision about a job opportunity. While I am confident that I was born with very strong intuition, I’m often guilty of not listening to that gut instinct of mine. Like most people, I’ve been conditioned to do all of the above before making any final decisions.
In the midst of my decision making, something became very clear to me. When I used logic, and was consumed in thought about all the possible scenarios, I wanted to say no because of fear. When I quieted my mind and tuned in inward, I heard a big fat YES! Even when I went back and forth in my head because I thought I “should,” I always knew what I was going to do.
What I observed, was an excitement and giddiness when I thought about saying yes to the opportunity. I had an internal bummed feeling when I thought about saying no. For the first time in a long time, that gut feeling was all I needed to ultimately make my decision, and it felt great!
Once I started sharing with people why I decided what I decided, I got a lot of questions like, “Are you sure?” and “Did you think about everything?” and “What if such-in-such happens,” or “What will you do if blah blah blah occurs?” I first found myself defending my decision, and then explained that it just feels right. Most folks I spoke with didn’t really get that and wanted me to explain myself—but I no longer felt the need.
What I realized is that other people don’t need to understand or agree with my decisions. I don’t need to justify or defend anything. How could anyone else know what’s best for me? I believe we all have that internal knowing of what’s best for us if we just tune in and listen. When we stop questioning ourselves, stop letting fear get in our way, and stop going in circles in our heads, what we need to know is within us right now. Now, I’m not suggesting you don’t ever make “educated decisions,” but merely pointing out that all of that back and forth is often unnecessary.
How does a decision feel in your body? Are you energized by it, or do you feel depleted? Quiet your mind, tune in, and see how you feel about it, not necessarily what you think about it. For me, this actually made the whole decision making process way easier than usual, and a lot more fun.
That’s it—that’s all I got for ya!
Happy day!!
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