The Art Of Gut Intuition: 3 Reasons Your Inner Voice Knows Far More Than You Think
Turns out that quiet voice in your head is picking up way more than you realize.
Mina Rad | Unsplash Do you listen to your inner voice? In my early 30s, I planned a wilderness adventure with a male friend during which I ignored my inner voice and almost ended up in serious trouble. Here's a story of why you need to listen to your intuition
We were going to explore a part of the Utah desert I wasn't familiar with. I had spent a lot of time hiking and backpacking, so I was comfortable with making safe decisions.
We arrived in my car, and he was driving. This was the first mistake. A huge storm was building. The howling wind made it difficult to hear each other — it was also blowing sand into our eyes and covering our tracks. My friend wanted to separate and hike on different trails.
My gut instinct was shouting at me to say "no." I was unfamiliar with the trails, and the weather was turning crazy. After yelling over the wind, I reluctantly agreed to his plan. I knew immediately that I should have listened to my inner voice. It didn't take long for me to get lost. I didn't have enough water or any food. I broke every rule I knew about staying safe. It did no good to call out — the wind was too loud.
There was not another soul around for miles, except the person who wanted to ditch me in the first place. I was so mad at myself for not honoring what I knew to be the best decision. I found myself trying to remain calm. I was hot, thirsty, and lost. The landscape was bone dry — there was even a cow skeleton. Eventually, I found a small algae-filled puddle.
On my knees, I sucked up the nasty-tasting water. Not long after finding the water, I discovered the trail that led me back to my car. That was a great relief, but I could not get in the car. My friend had the keys. What was I thinking?! Never ignore your intuition. I ignored my intuition. In the end, everything was fine.
In fact, something positive came out of what was potentially a bad situation — I learned to value my gut instinct. Before you can truly appreciate the reasons why you need to listen to your inner voice, you need to recognize this very special part of you.
Your internal guide — also known as your intuition — comes from a place of greater awareness. This part of you carries a feeling of strength and purpose and feels good.
If you hear a voice spewing negative thoughts about you, this is fear, not your inner voice. Recognizing fear-based thoughts versus your intuition can be a very powerful self-awareness tool. Now you are ready to learn the beautiful and mystical truth of the voice that guides you.
Here are 3 reasons your inner voice knows more than you think:
1. Your inner voice may be your guardian angel speaking to you
Imagine your very own angel trying to keep you safe — don't ignore their advice. This guidance is always available to you. All you need to do is listen and say "thank you." Appreciate this little voice that keeps you out of harm's way. Note that this voice often does not speak with thoughts based on logic, but carries a special feeling of comfort.
Studies have found that people who learned to trust these gut feelings made the right call up to 90 percent of the time. Your inner voice isn't speaking in logical thoughts because it's drawing from a deeper wellspring of unconscious knowledge and pattern recognition accumulated through all your life experiences, offering protection that rational analysis alone cannot provide.
2. Your inner voice may be the Universe guiding you
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It's sharing messages to help you stay on the right path. Sometimes, choices are put in our lives so that we can practice discernment. The Universe supports you in making choices that will help you create your dreams and learn life lessons. This voice carries a feeling of strength.
Participants, according to one study, who made intuitive, gut-based decisions were more certain of their decisions and more likely to advocate for them, reflecting that sense of inner strength that comes with trusting your intuition. This inner knowing helps you practice discernment and stay aligned with choices that serve your highest good.
3. Your inner voice may be your higher self
It reminds you of your brilliance and how much you can achieve in this lifetime. Your higher self is connected to all that is and knows your potential. Listening closely will reward you with a very expansive awareness. It allows you to make decisions from a place of love and compassion.
These messages will enrich your life and that of others, as well. This voice carries a feeling of love and wisdom. You are now aware of just a few powerful connections. Begin keeping a journal of the messages you receive and how you feel.
Research shows that intuition and compassion may facilitate wisdom by providing different ways of experiencing self and others, and that wisdom itself is conceptualized as self-transcendence involving expanded awareness. When making decisions, cultivating compassion helps us choose actions that benefit ourselves and others, allowing us to see the big picture and stay focused on our highest purpose.
As your trust in the intuitive process builds, your mind and heart will begin to open up. This is the first step to creating a magical life. Discovering the quiet sanctuary inside allows space for tenderness and advanced forms of love to manifest themselves in your world.
We say advanced forms of love because you will shift your perception of love to remembering that all that you see is created by love. From that perception, you will remember that you are the awareness.
The awareness is not outside of you — the awareness is you. Your innermost connection to all that is holds your internal sanctuary. This is where your voice of eternal wisdom can be found. We wait for you to remember.
Polly Wirum is a spiritual coach and psychic. She teaches clients how to discover their truth through psychic readings, astrological readings, and intuitive life coaching. She offers guided meditation and, in some cases, guided exploration of past lives.
