thecreativeverse creativity is our human superpower.
Known by many names, most people are unaware that one of the most powerful inner tools we have in our arsenal, is our intuition, the great power within.
The Stranger – A Personal Story (thecreativeverse storytelling project – coming soon)
Intuition – The Power Within
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift ~ Bob Samples, author, paraphrasing Albert Einstein
My experience with the stranger – what a heart-opening, thought-provoking, unexpected experience for me. Less about my specific actions and more about how opening up to this experience in whatever way I was called, helped me grow and gain insight and wisdom in areas I had been struggling with.
This experience effectively jolted me out of my defense-mechanism level detachment and unlocked a level of connection and emotion which I later recognized as compassion and empathy. And it unlocked a deeply rewarding sense of being part of something, a sense of belonging I hadn’t felt before so clearly, at exactly the moment I needed it. I had in fact been struggling during that time with feeling like an outsider, like I was always looking from the outside in, out of step with everyone – lost. This experience helped me to reconnect to my sense of being a valuable, contributing member, indeed meant to be here after all.
Had I prioritized my logic and fears, above all else in this experience, I would have continued to assume I had nothing to offer, that I was too young to make a difference, that I was not the right person to take action. Had I relied entirely on these valid but ultimately misplaced reasons given the moment, I may have done nothing, fundamentally missing a unique, powerful opportunity to learn, grow and evolve.
The Gift
Whether we call it the inner voice, inner guidance, intuition, gut, hunches, your sixth sense, etc., we all have this heightened, expanded inner awareness or perceptual ability that provides us direction and guidance from a place beyond reason or logic, in the moment we need.
And that’s what makes intuition so unique. It’s guidance that is specific and clear, moment-by-moment. And it’s enhanced not only by a higher level awareness of what is occurring around us, but an awareness of how we, with our strengths and abilities, can contribute best to ourselves and others in the moment. If we can learn to trust it.
Sadly our society doesn’t expend much effort in developing this inner gift, likely because we don’t quite understand or value its power yet. Even as our scientists and psychologists are beginning to study intuition seriously, developing methods to test and measure it (though in my opinion we’re far away still from truly discovering it’s source), we still don’t invest any effort as a society to teach our children and our adults what it means to recognize and trust our inner guidance. We spend years in formal schooling learning everything about the external world and no time learning how to harness the magnificent, powerful, inherent gifts we already have within us.
Which is why it is so easy for us to disregard our inner wisdom when it calls to us. Even for me. For many years after, even I frequently disregarded the inner guidance that called to me. I neglected it, ignored it, shooed it away, just like we all often do, because I was convinced, I didn’t understand it and I was afraid of what it was asking me to be.
Be brave – lean into your best version
The universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself, everything that you want you already are. ~ Rumi, poet
We all know that the only way to grow and evolve is to continually step outside of our comfortable patterns. And it’s exactly in those moments when you’re fear is screaming that you’re not ready, that you might fail, that you might shine too bright, that you should be small and silent like you’ve always been, that you should be most receptive to your inner guidance. Because it’s exactly in those moments, that your inner guidance is giving you clues to what you’re capable of and granting you an opportunity to be brave, to get unstuck and move forward in your growth and development. All it takes is practice and trust because the gift is freely given.
When my inner guidance told me years ago that I needed to help that stranger, I doubted, fiercely, that I could make any difference. Why me I wondered, why not someone else? What I didn’t know consciously and my intuition knew clearly, was that I was indeed the right person, now was the right time, and I needed to be brave and lean into what I needed to do and be. In other words, why not me?
Trust Your Inner Wisdom – Ask, Listen, Do, Be – In The Moment
Our inner wisdom, intuition, inner guidance already sees our great potential and capabilities even when we’re not aware of them yet. It is always guiding us, leading us, keeping us safe, and urging us to lean into the best version of ourselves always. But to take advantage of such a powerful inner tool, we need to learn to trust it and that takes courage, awareness and practice, lots of it.
Someday, our collective will understand where this higher awareness comes from, because its source is likely greater than just our conscious brain power. But until then, if your intuition comes calling, be brave.
Don’t be afraid to ask for and heed its guidance. Start small if you wish but keep the connection alive. Don’t close yourself off to its sometimes very gentle whispers and nudges. Listen and be courageous enough to do what it asks of you especially when you’re afraid and especially in moments of potential danger. Heed its warnings if it tells you or you can feel, a situation to be dangerous or hostile. I’m lucky to be here still because my intuition saved me from many a dangerous situation.
Be present and in the moment. Your intuition speaks to you moment-by-moment, the more present you are, the stronger and clearer you will hear its guidance. Know your intuition is less focused on who you were, what you did yesterday and 100% focused on ensuring you’re the best version of yourself right now, the present moment.
Over time, you will learn to trust your inner guidance more and more. Eventually the whispers will become louder, and you will recognize its guidance faster, clearer, more confidently. You will feel the rightness of the wisdom you receive and won’t be afraid to ask for more of it. You will learn to calm your fierce inner doubt by the knowledge that what you’re receiving is for your benefit. And you’ll find that the more you use your intuition, the more you align and connect to that expanded part of you that has a bigger depth and awareness of your potential. The part of you that knows what you’re capable of at your best and holds the space for who you truly are until you can know it and do it for yourself without question.
As one of our most profound inner superpowers, I will write about our inner guidance system, intuition often, so stay tuned for more. In the meantime, let’s keep practicing!
Feel free to share your experiences with your intuition, inner guidance below!
Love, Carmen
