The Underrated Power of Intuition and How to Train It

 

 

In 2005, Steve Jobs gave a speech at Stanford in which he talked about the twists and turns that had shaped his career. On that day, he credited his success to the one thing nobody expected him to: INTUITION.

Intuition was his guidance system. It helped him make decisions in his career and personal life.

He even found that ’intuition (was) more powerful than intellect”.

What if, like Steve Jobs, we could all have access to a guidance system that helps us make decisions in all that we do? What if we could just know that we are on the right path?

It is possible when we reconnect with our intuition.

 

We lost touch with our intuition

Intuition is as old as time. Primitive humans used it to find food, shelter and survive in general.

But somewhere along the way, as our homes got drier and our fridges full, we lost the need to cultivate it.

Because we lost touch with it from an early age, trying to use our intuition now without prepping first would be like running a 10K without ever having ran before.

It would feel unnatural, difficult and we would give up on it quickly.

That’s why we need to do a couple of things first.

 

1. Reduce Mind Clutter

 

 

Have you ever tried hearing someone talking over loud music?

It’s hard, right?

Well it’s the same here.

Social media, Netflix, a long to-do list at work and a busy schedule clutter our minds beyond measure.

Your intuition is trying to tell you something, guide you but you just can’t hear anything with all the noise around.

Here a few effective ways to reduce your mind clutter so you can “hear” better.

• Media fast: Media is the primary source of mind clutter. Switch off the radio, stay away from social media, Netflix, Youtube and anything else that clutters your mind for 7 days.
• Declutter: one of the best ways to make space in your mind is to tackle your physical clutter. Get rid of unneeded things in your home and watch the changes unfold: increased focus, energy and most importantly a tidy mind!
• Time off: if possible take time off and go off on your own somewhere for a day or two. Go take a walk on the beach, in the forest, sit in silence, journal, meditate, do some yoga and embrace the silence around you.
• Mind dumping: journal every morning. Put down your to-do list on the paper and write down everything that bugs you however big or small. This is a great way to get all your “mind clutter” out onto the paper and therefore quite effective to clear your mind.

 

2. Tune Into Your Inner World

 

 

Today, we place much importance on the way we look, speak and feel. It’s all about the outer world: what we can see, touch, smell and hear.

So much that we forget to cultivate something much more essential:

Our inner world.

Inside is where we cultivate strength, confidence and self-worth. Only from the inside can we develop more intelligence and creativity.

Inside is where the magic starts. Not outside.

And once we realise that, we can shift our mindset and start reconnecting with ourselves.

 

Here are the most effective ways to do that:

• Alone time: spend time on your own as often as you can and immerse yourself in the silence around. It might be uncomfortable to sit in silence at first but with practice, you will learn to appreciate it.
• Meditate: Meditation is probably one of the best ways to raise your awareness and reconnect with your higher self. Meditate at least once or twice a day. If you are beginner, take a class at your yoga studio or at a meditation centre so you can meditate effectively.
• Breathing exercises: breathing brings you back to the here and now. This combined with meditation and / or yoga is a powerful combo to increase mindfulness.
• Yoga: it helps you get to higher levels of consciousness and increase mindfulness.
• Walks in the nature: whether in the forest, on top of a mountain or at the beach, spending time with Mother Nature is a powerful way to reconnect with yourself.

 

3. Test and Train Your Intuition

Once you have used the different techniques in Step 1 and 2, you’re ready to test your intuition.

Your intuition is like a muscle, the more you train it, the stronger it will get.  The more you use it, the better connected.

So how do we train it?

With Decision-Making.

 

 

Do you have to make a decision? Now is the time to test your intuition. However big or small the choice, your intuition has all the answers. All you need to do is ask and listen.

1. Set an intention: “I trust my intuition to show me the way”
2. Ask a question: Should I go right or left? Should I give up or go on? Should I go to this school or to that school? Should I move? Should I choose this house or the other one?
3. Now listen to the answer. Pay attention to what you hear, see and to the way you feel.

 

The answer might look different for everyone

• Some will hear a little voice inside their head
• Some will feel it in the pit of their stomach and just know what they they should do
• Some will feel heavy if it’s the wrong choice and light when it’s the right decision.
• Some will see images, pictures.

 

If you still find it hard to tune into your intuition, I suggest to follow the intention, question and answer process in a quiet place:

• Spend some alone time at homeor wherever you feel happy and comfortable. Sit still, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths. Now pay attention to the different messages: images, thoughts, a little voice, or just feelings. Keep a notebook close by and write anything that comes up. Don’t censor yourself, just write everything down. Do it everyday until it becomes natural and things start to unfold.
• Go for walks in the nature. Be present, enjoy the beauty around, take deep breaths and start paying attention to the images, sounds, thoughts and feelings that pop up. Again keep a notebook close by and write down the things that pop up.

 

Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.Steve Jobs

 

Conclusion

Intuition is like a dormant superpower waiting to surface and guide you on your path.

Sadly, in our modern world, we have lost touch with it and find it hard to reconnect.

However, if we are committed to reducing our mind clutter and cultivating our inner world, we can unleash an intuitive power that, when trained properly, can become like second nature to us with effortless decision-making and more connected, purposeful lives as a result.