Trusting Your “Intuition”

By Dr. Damian Goldvarg Ph.D., MCC

Intuition is defined by the Webster dictionary as a “clear and instant perception of a truth without the aid of reason.” Sometimes we have “hunches” or ideas that we don’t know where they come from. We know something but we don’t know how we know it. However, this information can be very important in our lives to make decisions. The ability to pay attention to our intuition can help us to make appropriate decisions. In contrast, not paying attention can lead us to making mistakes. Have you ever done something that you knew you didn’t have to do, but you didn’t have enough “logical” reasons to avoid it? The challenge is that this information coming from intuition often does not respond to logic.  There is no “objective data” that we can use to explain why we are thinking or feeling something. For example, we meet a new person and something tells us we shouldn’t trust them. This may have to do with his or her way of talking, expressing themselves, their “energy” or “something” that we do not know well what it is. This person has not done anything wrong to us, we don’t even know them, but yet, there is something that tells us that we should be cautious. Maybe it was a gesture, a comment, a look that makes us doubt the intentions of the person.  Taking this information seriously can prevent possible problems and protect us from something or someone that may have a negative influence on us. Can you think of an occasion where you had a hunch about something and then it happened exactly like that? How did you explain it?

One way of explaining intuition is that when we communicate, not only do we share words, ideas, and interpretations, but there is context and perceptions of other senses that give us information. It is not only what we hear, but what we see, we smell, the energy of the person that can produce experiences in our own energy field. When we communicate not only what is said but also what is not said, and how it is said can, give us information. Based on past experiences, we can recognize certain “signs” that we can interpret as opportunities to trust or not to do it. Can you think of any occasion that you trusted your intuition in your life? What did you learn? For example, if you had to make a decision about changing your work. Perhaps there was something that told you that the new position will not be necessarily better than the one you had at that moment.  Even though you may not know much about the organizational culture of the new company, something told you that the working environment was not as positive as you currently have and perhaps a greater salary does not justify a change of work. Or the boss that seemed very friendly during the interview made you wonder about his or her personality and if you would be a good match.   Or you were looking for a new place to live and went into a house and immediately knew that this was the place you were looking for. There are people who believe in “love at first sight” believing in the possibility of falling just after a look.

Many people are afraid to follow their intuition because it does not follow “logic or reason”, but we have a wisdom that may guide our decisions. We need to listen to our inner voice messages. I invite you to pay attention to your intuition in your life in order to use it more often, and leverage that information for your decisions. Taking your “intuition” seriously can be the key to bringing greater effectiveness and satisfaction to your life.