Having worked in high-tech Fortune 500 companies for 20+ years, I knew that one of my strongest skills was following my intuition and jumping into action. Yet, I rarely felt free to openly admit or share that "my intuition or gut" was my guidance. Oh right, the guys in the room would have looked at me like I had three heads or asked me to show them my crystal ball.
In corporate America, especially engineering driven organizations, any decision or suggestion put on the table is usually met with "WHERE IS THE DATA TO SUPPORT THAT?" My question is this: How do we move forward into new territory and bring new possibilities into reality if we are always looking for proof from past data that it will work?
Here is the best kept secret that conventional business environments overlook: Intuition is where we find our greatest wisdom and it will never steer us wrong. Much effort and money is put into developing left brain skillsets, but rarely is anything offered to help employees SHARPEN INTUITION or help people tune into their native wisdom. Everyone has intuition and it is always there. This is a soft skill that can ultimately enhance lives, careers, and organizations.
Intuition is the quiet voice within, but it doesn't speak through words.
Intuition is a feeling in the body that tells you the right direction to go.
Intuition is your own internal GPS or body compass.
Intuition is a muscle; you have to use it to make it stronger or it atrophies. We are all born with it and as children it is usually very strong, but then adults start telling us we are wrong and we stop listening and trusting our own inner knowing. We are taught to shut down to intuition, we start believing others know better or more. Since boys are often taught to shut down to their emotions and feelings in general, at least in past generations, they are even more removed from their own intuition. Most women are aware of their intuition or gut feeling, but often don't use it or honor it.
4 steps to developing your intuition:
- Dig the past up! Review some past experiences of when you didn't listen to your intuition.
- Find Stillness. Quiet the monkey chattering mind - MEDITATE!
- ASK for guidance when you need clarity. Ask god, the universe, or your inner wisdom.
- Get embodied. Get out of your head. Move your body, especially outdoors.
The more you listen to your intuition and follow it, the louder and clearer your intuition will become.