IS FEAR GETTING IN THE WAY OF YOUR INTUITION?
We established earlier that fear is the greatest obstacle to any wisdom trying to reach us. The same holds true with intuition. In order to act on intuition, you’ll need to distinguish between the intuition itself and when fear is getting in the way.
Fear can often talk to you in harsh ways. Intuition would never do that. Even if you don’t listen to intuition first, it will always linger in the gentlest of ways. Maybe a nagging feeling would be intuitive guidance at its worst, but it would not get worse than that. Intuition will always be gentle, fear will not.
For example, being afraid to fly in an airplane might give you the jitters, make you anxious and upset for days before a trip, or even involve dreams of nightmarish terror with associated planes and flying. But if your intuition were trying to send you a warning and directing you to not go on a plane, it would nudge you to change the reservation or you’d get the feeling that you’d better go on this trip another time. Intuition, will not terrorise you, it will direct you.
When Intuition comes knocking, be ready! This is Sally’s story:
Sally had done everything “right” – attended a good university, found a good job as a scientist, been singled out for a praise at the corporation where she worked – and yet harboured a secret dissatisfaction with her life. She longed for a more extroverted career, specifially as a trainer, teaching adults in corporations.
However, Sally’s scientifically trained mind, used to needing proof and concrete evidence, would not allow her to make the leap to follow her desire.
When she was about to be promoted again, Sally hired me as a coach under the pretence of wanting to start her new job off on the right foot.
It didn’t take long to uncover her dream of changing careers, but it took a lot of prodding before she would tae action. It wasn’t until an “inexplicable’ depression started to set in that Sally was willing to explore the possibility of moving on to what was calling her.
Sally finally accepted my suggestion that she enquired about the requirements to be come an in-house trainer. The training director echoed all her rational doubts: “You have no background in training. You have to atleast take some courses. You need experience.” Sally retreated, feeling a strange mix of rejection and satisfaction, the latter from knowing she had been justified in suppressing this desire.
The very same week, Sally, ‘coincidentally’ met a man at her gym, named Peter. A trainer for a large consulting firm, he also volunteered at a program that taught life skills to inner-city kids.
Intrigued, she expressed interest in helping with the program, but when Peter called to follow up, she backed away from making a commitment.
Within two weeks of this happening Sally found herself lost in an unfamiliar part of the city and pulled into a crowded school parking lot to find someone to ask directions. And of course, lo and behold, who did she see but Peter. On his way to lead one of his classes for the kids, he invited to take a peek.
Intrigued by seeing the program in action, this time Sally actually volunteered to help with administration. As a result, she got a chance to observe the course several times. One Saturday, Peter called Sally from this car; he was stuck in a huge traffic jam, and he was not going to make it to the kids’ course on time, if at all. He begged Sally to take his place. Despite her intitial resistance, Sally felt she had no choice but to lead the class.
As it turned out, Sally was a hit – the kids loved her. Peter invited Sally to lead the class as often as she wanted to. He was very impressed with her warmth and her natural teaching abilities. Buoyed by his praise and inspired by watching how well Peter could work with adults and kids, Sally once more felt encouraged to pursue her dreams of becoming a trainer.
About six months later, Peter recommended Sally to his boss. She interviewed for a position at Peter’s company, and he promised to be available to mentor her. Sally was offered the trainer’s job, and quickly accepted. She was on her way.
Sally’s intuition about changing careers was more stubborn than she was.
Once she admitted the truth about what she wanted, she was unleashing wisdom.
Despite the fact that she was resistant to taking action, the path to her fulfilment found her. The coincidences involved – meeting Peter at the gym, running into him in the inner city – were life’s way of guiding her until she could no longer deny her life blueprint.
And I know as you reflect on Sally’s story that you are already thinking of a number of your own situations or stories that you are aware of that are very similar, be it with yourself or involving friends and family members.
