“I believe in intuitions and inspirations . . . I sometimes FEEL that I am right. I do not KNOW that I am.” – Albert Einstein
When’s the last time you listened to your gut? Right now, mine’s telling me that sushi and frozen yogurt might not be the best combination. But I digress . . . This is not a post about stomachaches.
I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve said “go with your gut” when asked for advice. Truly, we all know what’s best for ourselves, but clearing away the head clutter to make space for that little inner voice can be a Herculean task.
“All signs point to yes,” or, “Danger, danger!” The latter is much easier to hear. We’re built to rapidly identify danger and act accordingly.
But intuition isn’t just there to help us feel out potentially dangerous situations. Looking back over my last few years as a freelancer, and the projects I’ve taken on, I’ve realized that there were times my intuition was simply screaming at me, and I ignored it.
When I first started freelancing, I took everything that came my way, red flags or not, because I was desperate to build a business, to make money. And I’m willing to bet I’m not the only freelancer who has succumbed to this. I’ll admit that sometimes the “means to an end” is necessary, but when everything inside of you is telling you “No, don’t do it,” let it go. Make space for what suits you.
What I’ve most clearly come to realize in the last year or so though is that intuition plays a key role in major decisions, if you let it. I’ve spent hours writing lists of pros and cons, writing pages upon pages about various dilemmas. Yet I could never figure out why all the biggest decisions in my life were made seemingly on impulse.
In hindsight, it’s clear that these decisions weren’t spontaneous. I already knew what I wanted on a very basic level. And when I gave my head just a few seconds of space and quiet, suddenly my decision was “magically” made.
So what do you really want that you haven’t allowed yourself to admit? How’s your gut feeling?
“Chasm”
A leap of faith requires ferocity,
a steadfast belief in self and circumstances;
There is no room for
. . . hesitation . . .
when flying across a chasm placed
just above the depths of doubt;
Rocks may pierce the feet upon landing,
but the gap has still been leapt,
and, weary, battered feet can still
. . . move forward.
Namaste 🙂
Rachel
There were a few times when I didn’t follow my gut feeling and was burned. We do need to trust our experience and that, after years of freelancing, our guts have actually learned a thing or two. Thanks for the reminder, Rach!
By: islandeditions on April 2, 2014
at 10:58 am
Very true! And I’ve learned so much from you about the business. Thanks for reading 🙂
By: faultlessfinish on April 2, 2014
at 2:25 pm
Your eyes are now able to see the energy that your soul is feeling, you are simply being you… WI:)ND
By: bawbsravenfeathers on April 3, 2014
at 12:10 pm
WI:)ND back to you, BawB!
By: faultlessfinish on April 3, 2014
at 1:10 pm
I really do believe that if you can gain the space to get away from distractions and really listen to yourself, you are often your wisest councel
By: Peter Wells aka Countingducks on April 3, 2014
at 2:59 pm
Yes – the trick is getting away from the distractions! Thanks for reading Peter.
By: faultlessfinish on April 4, 2014
at 2:01 pm
We will never have all the information we want to make a decision, so there will always be a need for that final kick one way or the other. On a bigger or smaller scale. And letting you unconscious in on the deal can sometimes make the difference.
Jim
By: redjim99 on April 6, 2014
at 4:53 pm
Stop worrying where you’re going—move on .
If you can know where you’re going, you’ve gone .
Just keep moving on.
I chose, and my world was shaken—so what?
The choice may have been mistaken, the choosing was not.
You have to move on.
Look at what you want,
not at where you are,
not at what you’ll be.
Look at all the things you’ve done for me:
opened up my eyes, taught me how to see,
notice every tree,
understand the light,
concentrate on now.
I want to explore the light.
I want to find how to get through,
through to something new,
Something of my own—move on.
Move on.
Stop worrying if your vision is new.
Let others make that decision—they usually do.
You keep moving on.
Look at what you’ve done , then at what you want,
not at where you are, what you’ll be.
Look at all the things you’ve done for me.
Let me give to you something in return.
See what’s in my eyes
And the color of my hair
And the way it catches light
And the care
And the feeling
And the life moving on!
We’ve always belonged together.
We will always belong together.
Just keep moving on.
Anything you do, let it come from you.
Then it will be new.
Give us more to see…
from the musical “Sunday in the Park With George”
by Stephen Sondheim
By: John Grabowski on April 11, 2014
at 7:32 pm
Lovely! Thanks for posting this, John.
By: faultlessfinish on April 11, 2014
at 9:11 pm