Steve Jobs called intuition “more powerful than intellect.” Albert Einstein called it the sacred gift. Some of the most important partnerships, products and theories are born from the feeling of intuition.
What is intuition? Sophy Burnham, bestselling author of The Art of Intuition, defines it “(…) a knowing without knowing.”
Intuition is there, for everyone. Simone Wright writes in the Huffington Post “ Intuition is the natural intelligence that allows us to see ahead of the curve, to generate innovative ideas, to communicate powerfully and to do so without having to study spreadsheets or gather piles of data.” It’s that feeling, image, whisper that is often counterintuitive and that guides you towards what is best for you or the answer to a question you are asking yourself. It’s that hunch that you should make that investment or take that risk in your business.
However, in our modern world we are kept so busy that we rarely have time to listen to our intuition. We and our world are so riddled with thoughts of fear, hopelessness, anger, greed, materialism, and negativity. We are literally bombarded by misinformation and media hype that we don’t realize we pick up thoughts of others and we make it ours. And we don’t take the time to understand who our thoughts belong to.
How can I understand if I’m thinking that thought -whether it’s mine or not – or if I’m receiving that thought, because it’s my intuition speaking to me?
First of all, It’s important to understand how you perceive your intuition.
James Wedmore in a recent episode of his podcast speaks of intuition and how to tap into its power.
He describes four main types of intuition, according to the modality in which we receive it.
- Clairsentience is feeling. When you say “I have a gut feeling about that”. And you literally feel it in your gut. It’s when you ask yourself “How does this situation or person make me feel”?
- Clairvoyance is vision, so you receive information through images. It’s your internal vision.
- Clairaudience is receiving through an inner voice. It’s often like a whisper in your mind or you could have SWORN you heard someone saying your name.
- Claircognizance is knowing without remembering when you knew it. It’s when you know something without reading or being told about it. Often, this takes the form of a strong sense of knowing, or an inspired idea.
So, as an entrepreneur or professional, should you listen to my intuition and rely on it for your business?
Many famous entrepreneurs, politicians and professionals declare they rely on intuition when they have to make a decision. For example, Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, says: “I rely far more on gut instinct than researching huge amounts of statistics”.
Here are 5 practical ways to cultivate your intuition
1. Be mindful
In other words, be present. Rather than thinking about what is next on your list or what happened yesterday, you can focused on the “here and now”, which is much more effective. When you are mindful, you are able to hear and listen to your intuition better because you are aware of your body’s signals – the feelings, hunches, whispers, or images and you can act quicker.
2. Pay attention to your gut
I remember years ago my then husband had a very bad car accident. Before he left, I asked him not to go. I didn’t know why, but I had this gut feeling he shouldn’t go. He went anyway and was involved in a bad car accident where he broke both his legs and had a severe concussion.
I can mention so many occasions where I had a gut feeling that turned out to be absolutely right. And I must admit in several occasions I regretted I didn’t listen to it…
3. Pay attention to your dreams
Our intuition often speaks to us in dreams with symbols. Einstein dreamed many of his theories. So keep pen and paper near you so that you can jot down what you remember of your dreams. By learning how to tune into your dreams and to interpret the symbols your receive and the emotions you feel, you will become more and more more intuitive.
4. In any encounter, learn to stop and see how you feel, not what you think
When you first encounter someone, take a moment during the conversation to see how you feel rather than what you think about that person. Your intuition comes from the heart – and from your gut – and we have to learn to listen to it and translate that feeling into information we can use.
5. Pay attention to synchronicity
Listen to the signs your body is giving you. Do you have butterflies in your stomach? Goose bumps? A burning sensation in your chest?
Pay attention to the signs around you? Do you keep hearing the same song? Maybe there’s a message for you there. Do you see the same book three times in a row? Messages are given to us continuously. If we pay attention to the details, we may get the answers we were looking for.
Intuition is not something we learn or acquire. We all have this extraordinary skill – intuition, instinct, sixth sense, whatever you want to call. The more we practice listening to it, the easier it is to hear it and the better the decisions we make in business and in life. The more we ignore or reject it, the more difficult it is to discern it and we will miss so many pleasant surprises that may very often be the opportunities we are looking for.
Now it’s your turn: do you rely on your intuition or your intellect when you have to make important business decisions?
Leave your comments below and remember to share as much detail as possible : many people come here every week for inspiration and advice, so I encourage you share your thoughts. Your experience and insights may inspire and trigger a meaningful change for someone else. And if you have someone in your life who could benefit from this article, share this post with them – they’ll thank you for it ?
Thank you for reading, watching and sharing
To your success and prosperity
With love
P.S. If you’d like making the mindset shifts necessary to invest in yourself, earn more than you spend, turn your idea into a profitable business, find and be found by the right clients, increase your confidence and learn how to listen to your intuition – I’m here to help.
Simply, click here to book in a call or learn more about my “Tapping into Business Prosperity” group coaching program
