Today I received an e-mail from someone who had read my book, enjoyed it and had a question I hear often. My book is about how to listen to the still small voice within and presents true stories of what happens when we do, and when we don’t.
Here’s the question (paraphrased): how do I know when it’s my intuition sending me a message and not some other random voice in my head? Very good question, considering the sheer volume of inner voices that can be speaking at any given time.
After considering the question and how best to answer it, I came up with this list based upon how I’ve worked with my intuition over the years. (Do the same thing here that you do at the buffet, take what you like and leave the rest.)
7 Unmistakable Characteristics of Intuition
1. Less is More. Intuition is brief. No long explanations are involved. Intuition doesn’t usually present methodologies and full strategies in one instance. Though it’s true that a whole picture can unfold over time from your intuition, one tiny bit of information can be more powerful and profound than a mountain of data. Intuition tends to work on the less-is-more principle. For instance, you might be getting dressed in the morning and receive the message, “don’t wear those shoes.” You wear them anyway and later on, the heel breaks.
You didn’t receive a full explanation of why the shoes weren’t a good choice, yet paying attention to that tiny bit of information would have been wise.
2. Fast. Intuition is swift and can be fleeting, like a wink. It arrives quickly, seemingly out of nowhere. Practicing the art of staying fully present in each moment sharpens the ability to decipher intuition’s quick messages. The intuitive hit can come so quickly that if we’re not paying attention, we could miss it. The idea of “get your keys” can come and go so quickly that we barely notice it. Later, when the keys are locked in the car, the thought we had earlier comes back. Something told me to get my keys!
3. Accurate and trustworthy. Intuition is always accurate. Never has it failed me when I followed it. I read in a magazine article lately that Oprah credits much of her success to following her gut. She has great instincts, and she’s great at following them, even when they don’t seem to make sense. The same is true of Donald Trump. He states that if a deal doesn’t feel right, he doesn’t do it, no matter how good the numbers look on paper.
When an uneasy feeling arises about a new person, there’s a reason. Heed it. You don’t need to know why you’re having the feeling. Trust its accuracy and act accordingly. You’ll find out more later, if necessary.
4. Accompanied by a bodily sensation. I get a tingly feeling with some intuitive hits. The palms may tingle, or perhaps there’s a tingle in the head or up the spine. Pay close attention to what information is suddenly coming to you while you simultaneously pay attention to the feeling in the body that accompanies it.
5. The information provided is not derived from the 5 senses. Knowing something without knowing how we know is one way intuition shows its independence from the 5 senses. Intuitive information doesn’t originate with the 5 senses, which is why intuition has been called the 6th sense. For example, did the shoes look like the heel would break? Could you feel the problem with your hands? Probably not if you decided to put them on. Yet, on some level, you knew not to wear the shoes.
Does the person you’re just meeting look like an ax murderer? Maybe not. He or she may look and sound like a well groomed, well put together kind of person, yet there’s something there, just beneath the surface. I can’t put my finger on it, but something’s just not right. That knowing is intuitive information arising spontaneously from within, independent of the 5 senses, and sometimes contrary to them. It’s what gets us into trouble when we choose a partner that looks, feels, smells and sounds good, even though the inner knowing is saying STAY AWAY!
6. Memorable. After the fact, we remember the guidance received on a particular issue (usually when we’re experiencing the negative results of not listening to the guidance). Whether we follow it or not, we remember the guidance, which gives us the opportunity to pay closer attention the next time and practice getting better at heeding the intuitive voice.
Bonus: Here’s an eighth one…
8. Beneficent. There is only good and all good associated with both receiving intuitive guidance and heeding the voice of intuition, for you and everyone else involved. The information is always pertinent, beneficial and protective when heeded.
Today, listen to your intuition, no matter how far-fetched or contrary to the 5 senses the information seems. It will pay off handsomely, I promise.
Blessings,
Valerie Love
