Using Your Intuition to Enhance Your Life

We hear it over and over…use your gut-only you know what’s best for you…what’s your gut feeling on this? Steve Jobs even called it “ more powerful than intellect.” So is this some magical power we all possess? It seems so. The question is how do we increase and enhance this power already inside of us? How do we listen more to this inner voice that seems to be able to guide us in the right direction?

The Huffington Post has an article by Carolyn Gregoire called 10 Things Highly Intuitive People Do Differently.  “Cognitive science is beginning to demystify the strong but sometimes inexplicable presence of unconscious reasoning in our lives and thought. Often dismissed as unscientific because of its connections to the psychic and paranormal, intuition isn't just a bunch of hoo-ha about our "Spidey senses" -- the U.S. military is even investigating the power of intuition, which has helped troops to make quick judgments during combat that ended up saving lives.” "There is a growing body of anecdotal evidence, combined with solid research efforts, that suggests intuition is a critical aspect of how we humans interact with our environment and how, ultimately, we make many of our decisions," Ivy Estabrooke, a program manager at the Office of Naval Research, told the New York Times in 2012. Here is what you can do to make sure you use your gift better:

•     Actually listen to your inner voice and what it is telling you.
•     Quiet time is necessary in your life to be able to allow your thoughts to go deeper.
•     Be mindful of what is happening with you…meaning pay attention to what is going on with you in a non-judgemental way.
•     Observe what is happening to and around you. It will help you make more connections and fill in the gaps.
•     Pay attention to what your body is telling you as the body and mind are very connected.
•     “Sophy Burnham, bestselling author of The Art of Intuition recommends paying attention to your dreams as a way to get in touch with your mind's unconscious thinking processes. Both dreams and intuition spring from the unconscious, so you can begin to tap into this part of your mind by paying attention to your dreams.”
•     You must get alone time to allow your brain to relax and lessen the busyness.
•     Release negative emotions. Anger, depression, anxiety will turn your intuition off faster than anything.
•     Connect deeply with others and you still begin picking up on their feelings, thoughts and emotions which also increases empathy.
•      Practice creativity as it helps increase intuition and vice versa. Do what you love to do or try something new.

Using your intuitive skills may come more naturally or perhaps you need to locate and finds ways of tapping into it. Either way, we all have it and are all capable of using it. Learn the signs as they will manifest as feelings- use those feelings to guide you. Increase your happiness by following your path and honing in on the feelings that feel good to you- tingling sensations, heart beating faster with excitement, instant positive emotion. These types of experiences help you move along the path that is meant for you. Everyone has their path; follow yours to help you create a life worth living.

Check out my radio show for more on intuition with guest Carole Gold at bbs radio on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific.

Lori Peters is the creator of Happiness Hangout which provides resources, activities and services in the area of happiness and well-being. She has her own radio show called Happiness Hangout.