A Lifestyle Lesson in Using Intuition

I strive to make as few decisions as possible during my day. Whenever I get caught up in “I don’t know” or planning too much, it’s usually because I’m using the logical part of my human when really I should be using her intuition.

Everyone is endowed with intuition and if we use it correctly, we can move through our lives with confidence and ease, because the part of us that knows everything is the part of us telling us what to do.

Intuition is not of this world.

It’s a meta part of being human, or said another way, it’s ethereal. This means intuition doesn’t follow the rules of the third dimensional world - it especially doesn’t abide by time. It doesn’t need to. It already knows what has been, what is, and what will be.

It’s this quality of intuition that makes it a beautiful force to be used for the evolution of our soul.

With intuition at the helm of our lives, there’s little need to stress, ponder, or decide. All we need to do is listen and then obey.

This is easier said than done in a world that demands we explain ourselves at every turn. Yet, if we can really go inside and intuit - go into consciousness - go ‘into it’ - peace and belonging awaits.

Here are three practices to help you believe, trust, and lean into intuition.

SEE: Take a look at your inner world.

What kind of noise is buzzing around inside your mind? When is it the most busy? What are the scripts playing in your head? What happens when you don’t know what to do next?

This autopilot in your mind is a product of what neuroscientists call the default mode network (DMN). Your DMN is the pattern your mind resorts to when it has nothing else to do. If your mind were an engine, your DMN is what the engine does when it idles.

Chances are 90% of what’s going on in your mind is programmed babble that isn’t always the most helpful. So it’s important to take your DMN with a grain of salt and just gently observe what goes on there as if you were watching ducks in a pond.

STOP: Avoid getting caught up in the DMN.

The DMN is filled with stories and explanations. Personally my DMN sometimes sounds like a broadcaster - “she’s doing this and then she’ll do that and she’s doing it in this way because of x, y, and z.”

If I can’t explain something linearly, the DMN doesn’t really like it. But an important step in honing intuition is to stop caring about what the DMN has to say.

The only way you can begin to do this is to detach yourself from the noise going on in there long enough to create space for something else. So whenever your mind frets or seeks explanation or immediate gratification, simply stop that train of thought.

START: Experiment with listening to your inklings.

Intuition starts as a whisper, a nudge. It’s not bossy and it never explains itself, which is why sometimes it’s so much easier to pay attention to the DMN.

The squeaky wheel, right?

Instead of listening to the shouts in your mind, invite in more quiet, and whenever you feel a slight pull to do something that would feel good, do it. Don’t explain why. Don’t seek out rationality. Just do it.

What’s likely to open for you is a new possibility you didn’t see before. And that is what intuition is designed to do, to allow you to see the infinite possibilities brought to you every day.

So the next time your heart tugs at you to call a friend or your body begs you to lie down, just do it. See how it feels.

Eventually if you keep experimenting in this way, your DMN will be replaced by your intuitive wisdom and you’ll never have to make another decision again.

MAGIC MANTRA: I already know what to do.