USE YOUR INTUITION

We have all heard of women's intuition. Take, for example, the real-life story of the mother who "felt" something was wrong and turned around just in time to stop a stranger from walking away with her child at a crowded playground. Stories like this are usually chalked up to an "amazing coincidence." But are they really?

How many times have you said to yourself, usually after something has gone wrong, "I should have followed my instincts. I knew something didn't feel right...?" So, why don't we listen to and follow our intuition on a more regular basis?

Everyone Has "Intuition"

Intuition might seem mysterious. When we talk about having "good intution", we mean that we seem to know information, but we don't know how we got it. The fact is, intuition is a natural part of being human. If you learn to listen to your intuition, you can use it to guide you and to make amazingly smart decisions in your life!

People Feel Intuition in Different Ways

Some people "feel" intuition with their bodies, such as feeling "hairs rise up on the back of the neck" or "going cold" when something doesn't feel right. Other people get an intuitive "insight" about other people, such as being able to meet someone and instantly know what kind of person they are. When you are making a decision, pay attention to all of these ways that your intuition communicates with you.

Are You Preventing Your Intuition from Thriving?

Why do so many girls stay in loser relationships - with friends or with boys? It's because they are thinking about what they want - not what really is. They want so badly for things to work out that they either misunderstand or ignore the "signals" they are receiving about it.

Learn to trust your instincts! To use your intuition, you have to trust yourself. Start listening to those "feelings" you get about situations, and act on that intuition. If you get a strong, negative feeling about a person you just met, don't ignore it because you think "that's crazy, I don't even know them." Listening to your intuition can save your life in some cases! And in others, it can help you make smart choices, or help you to plan your future.

Intuitive Techniques

When you want to know what your intuition "thinks" about a situation, get quiet. Turn off any noise around you, by focusing on hearing only your inner thoughts. Take a few deep breaths, relax your body, relax your mind, and ask yourself, "What is my gut feeling right now?" "How do I really feel right now?" "What is the right thing to do?" Follow these techniques to make your intuition work for you:

Technique #1: Ask Your Intuition Questions

Many people believe that intuition comes from out of the blue. But you can ask your intuition questions, and it will respond! Close your eyes and ask, "What should I do in this situation?" or "What do I need to know about this." Remember you may get the answers from a variety of sources. (Feelings, words, physical sensations, and images.)

Technique #2: Use Your Intuition to Increase Your Joy in Life

The feeling of joy and enthusiasm - excitement and happiness about something - is one of the ways your intuition speaks to you. What makes you excited, happy, delighted? What do you look forward to each day? Do more of it! That's your intuition telling you, "hey, this is how to make yourself really happy!"

Technique #3: Set Goals and Let Your Intuition Help You Achieve Them

Setting clear goals can increase the power of your intuition. You are probably quite clear about what you don't want in your life. Now, spend time thinking about what you DO want. What does your ideal life look like? Draw pictures or cut out scenes from magazines that illustrate the life you want to create. Write in your journal, imagine. Spend some time each day imagining your ideal life. Form mental pictures about the details of that life. Imagine you are living it now. What are you wearing? What are you feeling? Who are the people around you? The power is within your mind and heart to bring forth the new life you desire. Your intuition will show you the way. A really wise person learns to use her actual experience AND her intuition, so both are working together to guide her decisions.

Technique #4: Look for Coincidences

Some people believe that coincidences are God's way of giving of signs that we are on the right path. Whether or not you believe that, it's a fact that synchronicity - noticing unexplained patterns or connections in separate events - can show us that we are on the right path. As you trust your intuition, you will notice that these coincidences seem to occur more often.

Technique #5: Use Positive Affirmations

Write down your goals, visions and dreams. Write a short positive statement that sums up your goal. Here is an example: "wonderful friends flow into my life as I let others see the real me." Say the affirmative statement several times a day. As you do this, pay attention to any "intuitive feelings" you may get. This will be guidance from your intuition that shows you the best ways of reaching your goal.

Technique #6: Pay Attention to Your Dreams

You should start paying attention to your dreams, because they often send you messages directly from your "subconscious" mind - also known as your intuition!

Remember, trust your intuition enough to act on it! Using your intuition means trusting your own heart - trusting those gut feelings that come from somewhere inside of you. Using your intuition is like exercising any other muscle in your body. The more you listen to your intuition and follow it, the stronger it becomes!