On Intuition

Intuition: The power of obtaining knowledge that is not or cannot be acquired either by inference or observation. ~Merriam Webster

One week and one day ago, one of my most favorite people in the whole wide world left this earth to go to a better place. It was unexpected and devastating.

In the weeks leading up to this fateful day, my inner voice had been nagging me to call him. I knew he had health problems and the last time we talked, we had discussed that when I passed my second health coaching exam, he would be my client.

(We were kind of joking, but kind of not.)

Well, I passed my second exam in February and the days and weeks passed by. For various reasons, I couldn’t find a good time to call. Until last Sunday. I had climbed into bed, prepared for a lengthy conversation (since we hadn’t talked for so long), and dialed his number. But there was no answer. So I left a message telling him that I just wanted to check in and see how he was doing. No agenda, just pure concern.

The following day, the little voice inside my head urged me to call again while I was driving up to Rochester for an appointment. But my phone was almost out of battery, so I didn’t make the call. I decided I would call again next Sunday (when I had more time).

However, on Wednesday night at 11:05 PM, I got the call that turned my world upside down. Scott had died in his sleep earlier in the day. He was 34 years old.

I’m not saying that health coaching could have prevented this tragedy. The point is that I should have listened to my intuition and called him much sooner than I did. Because then I could’ve at least had a chance to talk to him one more time.

I’m Ignoring My Intuition

I often hear that little voice in my head telling me to do something or make a specific decision. Sometimes (or often) I don’t listen and that’s when things go wrong. It may be that doing what my intuition tells me involves more time and effort or talking to one more person or perhaps doing something slightly uncomfortable.

When I ignore my intuition, it’s like I’m fighting myself. I know in my head that I’m not doing the right thing, and it’s stressful. And often it comes back to bite me.

A Resolve to Follow My Intuition

Scott’s death has given me a new resolve to follow my intuition. It’s always right, and I don’t know why I keep fighting it. Intuition is one of the greatest gifts we have as human beings and something we ignore to our detriment.

I think living mindfully is key to following ones intuition. If we are not able to pay attention to the moment and appreciate and value our internal voice, it is a lost cause.

I’m all about going against the grain, but only when my intuition says it’s the right thing to do. It will be exciting to see how my life evolves with this new approach to intuition.

I’ll let you know.