Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American philosopher said “The primary wisdom is intuition.” It is not just a theory, it is part of who we are. Without training, we can happen upon it occasionally, and when we follow our intuition we usually like the results. What would happen if we learned to tap into our own innate intuition on a daily basis? Why don’t we? As Carl Jung said “intuition does not denote something contrary to reason, but something outside of the province of reason.” It is real and it is not in our heads. And our head can’t control it.
There are many ways we sabotage our own natural intuition all the time. Here are 9 examples and what we can choose to do instead:
1. We hurry so much that we don’t take time to listen to our intuition.
- We need to slow down or just be still to hear our intuition.
2. We don’t look for the symbolism in things or events nor do we develop our symbolic ability.
– We need to be open to possibilities.
3. We let our ego control us, and insist on being in charge/controlling everything around us.
– The ego is threatened by the presence of your intuition.
4. We confuse intuition with fear and wishful thinking.
– When we stay in our heads and let our emotions control us, we lose the gift of what our intuition can offer.
5. We continue to associate with people who don’t believe in intuition or want to use it.
– Intuition is contagious. But so is a lack of intuition.
6. We think we can force intuition just like we can pedal a bike or pump weights.
– Intuition comes where and when invited, but not on demand.
7. We insist on staying in our logical, rational, analytical thinking as the only way to find solutions to problems or make decisions or find solutions.
– When we are centered, using all our emotional intelligence tools and habits, intuition can flood us with many creative alternatives that the intellect could not conceive.
8. We listen to our ego when it tells us it can handle the problem or situation itself.
– We allow the ego to reject the insights that intuition offers.
9. We believe we don’t need to learn tools, skills and habits to master our intuition.
– By getting trapped in the endless loop of our heads, we never get a chance to develop our intuition to see how good it can become.
One of the most brilliant and analytical minds of the twentieth century, Albert Einstein said, “The real valuable thing is intuition.” If this famous and rational mind can credit intuition so highly, maybe we should give it a try too. Who knows, with a little practice, a little coaching and a few successes, perhaps we too will start to see the wisdom of using this ‘thing’ called intuition. This "thing" that is one of our greatest and most valuable gifts.