Can Intuition Be Trusted
I was at lunch with a friend who had recently lost someone close to her. We discussed how logic and reason can help understand what happened, easing some of the ruminating questions. However, they don’t answer all the questions and certainly don’t heal the hurt.
This led us to talk about another side of ourselves that often gets ignored or pushed aside: our intuition.
Intuition, often referred to as our “sixth sense,” is indeed one of our senses. It’s an inner knowing that helps us navigate life and make decisions.
However, like any other bodily function, if we don’t use it, we lose it. Just as muscles can atrophy if not used regularly, intuition can become less reliable if we don’t practice using it.
You might think, “I don’t have good intuition,” or “I should use my intuition more.” The truth is, intuition, like any skill, can be improved and developed. There are just a few key things to know.
Understanding Intuition and Other Parts of Your Mind
Like most high-achieving women, I spend a lot of time in my head. I love logic and research (I’m a 5/1 in Human Design). While I appreciate logic and reason, I grew up in a household that believed in miracles. Witnessing many unexplainable events opened my mind to the possibility that we don’t know everything and that other forces may be at play.
As I got older, I learned that the subconscious mind drives 90-95% of our behaviors and decisions. I also explored spirituality and how we can connect to our higher selves. Understanding all facets of my mind has helped me connect more deeply to all the senses my system can use to make choices and guide me.
This awareness has allowed me to strengthen and lean on my intuition while also using my rational brain. Getting in touch with my subconscious mind has helped me discern when I’m making choices out of fear versus clarity, allowing me to heal aspects of myself that were clouding my judgment.
The Benefits of Trusting Intuition
When you spend so much time in your head, making a gajillion decisions a day, decision fatigue is very real and very exhausting. There are so many tiny and big decisions we make all day from our logical mind that deplete our energy.
No wonder it can be so hard to make a healthy choice at dinnertime, or why it’s harder to keep our cool when we’re putting our kids to bed. We’ve depleted our reserves making decisions all day.
But when you use your intuition for the majority of your decisions, you aren’t depleting this same tank of energy. Intuition comes from a different place that doesn’t fatigue the brain.
So you can use intuition to know what to wear, what to eat, when to eat, who to call, what task on your list to do first… all those decisions that usually tax you, or that you usually overthink, can become easy and invigorating.
When you make a decision with your intuition, there is usually a dose of energy behind that choice that propels you forward.
There is ease.
Every time you listen to your intuition, trust it, and follow it, you build confidence in yourself. You know yourself in such a deep way.
Imagine being able to fully trust yourself, knowing you’re making the right decisions in life. And if something doesn’t go the way you expected, that’s okay, because you can trust your journey and your ability to handle it.
I know so many people who take a poll every time they’re going to send a text or even order at a restaurant. We do this because we think other people know more than us. But what is right for them may not be right for you.
I have a friend who loves to share her emotions with the world. I’m a little more reserved. So my advice for her isn’t always great because how I would approach a situation is not how she would approach it. It’s not authentic to her.
Even if we follow well-meaning, good advice, it can leave us feeling icky. That’s because it wasn’t from our truth. The only way to get to our truth is through self-reflection and practicing following your own intuition, understanding and believing that it never lets you down.
Can Intuition Be Wrong?
A lot of factors inform our intuition: our histories, experiences, thoughts, emotions, even our astrology and natural gifts.
It’s similar to eyesight— you can see something and believe you saw it accurately.
Five witnesses can experience the same event and perceive different things. This is called the Rashomon effect, where different people have contradictory interpretations of the same event.
I’ve had the experience of buying a house where my intuition told me it was the house. I felt so true. But then I didn’t get the house. It was jarring at first and made doubt myself. What I eventually understood was that I needed that experience and full belief in order to know what to do for the next house (which was THE house).
So, there are times when intuition may feel wrong, but it was just guiding you to the next best step.
Also, things change. Circumstances and people evolve, and as they change, the next right thing might also change.
This is why it’s so important to understand how your intuition speaks to you. I call this your Intuitive Signature (we dive deeper into Intuitive Signature here). It’s also important to keep checking in with yourself. It’s not a one-and-done situation!
Balancing Intuition and Logic
Intuition is the foundation of our inner guidance system, but it’s not the whole picture. While it provides valuable insights, we also need to incorporate logic and reason to understand a full picture.
Emotions play a crucial role too. We should use all the tools at our disposal to navigate life effectively.
Knowing ourselves deeply is the best way to determine which tools to use and when. For instance, when making decisions, start with intuition to get a sense of direction, but then apply logic to weigh the pros and cons.
Use your emotions to gauge how a decision makes you feel. This can validate your intuition. It can also guide you in making tough decisions, even when they go against your emotions and logic.
This balanced approach ensures that you’re making well-rounded decisions that align with your true self.
Balancing intuition with logic and emotion allows for a more comprehensive understanding of situations. It’s like having a toolkit where each tool has its purpose, and knowing when and how to use each one can make all the difference.
By integrating intuition, logic, and emotions, you can navigate life’s challenges more effectively and make decisions that are not only wise but also deeply aligned with your authentic self.
Is Intuition Reliable?
Enhancing your intuition can be done through practices like meditation. However, we become even more adept at hearing intuition day to day when we understand how the other parts of our mind work, such as the subconscious mind, our thoughts, and emotions.
Realizing how all these pieces interact and supplement your intuition can make it much easier to hear your inner voice.
For instance, knowing when you’re simply “in your feelings” helps you recognize that this doesn’t necessarily mean you should act on something.
Similarly, identifying an old pattern that your subconscious mind is using to keep you safe can provide clarity.
This awareness allows intuition to become a reliable skill rather than a fleeting thought you constantly question.
By integrating the understanding of your subconscious mind and emotions with your intuition, you build a solid foundation.
This foundation helps you distinguish between intuitive guidance and other mental noise, making your intuition a dependable tool for decision-making.
So What Does Your Intuition Say?
Ultimately, intuition can always be trusted. The key is knowing the difference between intuition and the other facets of your mind and body.
That’s how you can truly know what to listen to.
This doesn’t mean you won’t get tripped up from time to time. But that’s okay! This is all part of the learning and practice process.
So, if you’re wondering if intuition can be developed, you already know my answer: yes! It absolutely can. You already have everything you need; you might just need a little practice in telling the difference between a thought, an emotion, and your intuition.
If you’d like to practice a little more, there are some simple exercises in the workshop Intuition Made Simple to help you distinguish thoughts from emotions, and ultimately hear your intuition clearly.
With love,
Carmen xo