Trusting Our Intuition
By Barbara Hildt
Our minds have been programmed in many ways by past experiences. Our so-called rational pattern thinking is influenced by what we see, hear and read. Therefore, we should not always trust and follow the thoughts and impulses that arise quickly from our hardwired minds.
Trusting our minds can cause our safety and the safety of others to be in jeopardy. If we have had experiences of feeling threatened by others, we may react defensively and suddenly “fly off the handle” with anger that causes us to lose control and say or do things we would not if we were in control of our impulses.
By learning to tune in to our intuitions we can prevent ourselves from saying and doing things that are not in our best interest and could be harmful to ourselves or others. It can be like a security check that wakes us up to what’s really happening and what actions we should or should not take.
Before we can trust our intuition, however, we need to get to know how it functions best.
Intuition is rather like a receiver that is capable of getting messages from our wiser, higher consciousness which is attuned to receive messages that come from the spiritual realm. Whether we know it or not, we all have spirits or souls that existed before we were in our bodies and will survive when our bodies die. Much evidence of this has been presented in books such as Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon who had a near-death experience.
To access guidance from our higher consciousness we must first become aware of where our thoughts and impulses are coming from. Before I am able to receive and begin to understand what I call “leadings of the spirit.” I must first quiet my busy mind and let go of preoccupations and concerns. I need to relax and concentrate on my breathing. Once I have let go of my thoughts, I feel peaceful and I am ready to receive the insights and guidance that I seek and need. I may enter this state free of concerns or I may come with a concern or a question. The answers to my questions may not come to me while I meditate. However, if I keep my mind and heart open, in time the answers always come. Often the answer begins with a feeling coming through my heart before it is a clearly formed thought. According to research by the HeartMath Institute, our hearts are almost like second brains capable of not only feeling emotions, but are also able to know things. (www.heartmath.org)
As I have aged, I’ve increased my reliance on my intuition to give me the insights and guidance I need to make good choices. I am aware that parts of my brain don’t work as well as they did in the past. I have forgotten things I once knew.
To stay safe and avoid making mistakes, I try to rely more on my intuition. Before I go out to drive or walk, I consciously “turn on” my intuition and ask for a loving spirit to make me aware of hazards. This doesn’t mean I become fearful or apprehensive. Instead I feel peaceful and confident that I will be guided and kept safe so that I can reach my destination.
Learning to trust our intuitions can help us live more creatively. Instead of wasting our time thinking about all the problems of the world and the things we can’t change, we can let our intuitions inspire us with insights, revelations and new ways of seeing and acting.