There is this one question I’m asked often.
In fact, it might be the most frequently asked question I get. And the question is: How do I listen to my intuition? How do I actually do it?
Now, I’ll let you know upfront: This episode may not be as tactical as you would like.
Because listening to your intuition isn’t a tangible, three-step process—do this, this, and this. But—and I want you to hear this loud and clear: I also don’t think listening to your intuition has to be some mystical, mythical, mysterious process either.
Not only is listening to your intuition possible, I believe feeling ease and excitement around your ability to listen to your intuition is also possible.
In other words, you can be one of those people who has an amazing connection with your intuition. You can be someone who easily taps into her own intuition, makes intuitive decisions, and lives life guided by a deep inner knowing.
If listening to your intuition is not a one, two, three, step-by-step process, how do you learn? How do you learn to listen to your intuition?
I want to share three ideas for doing just that.
These ideas are steps in a how-to process. Rather, they relate to a mindset you can cultivate in order to deepen your connection to your intuition. These ideas will help you more easily and naturally listen to that small, still voice within.
Idea #1: Turn inward.
Listening to your intuition begins very simply with not looking outside yourself. Not looking outside yourself for guidance, for what decision to make, for answers.
Too often we bypass any chance to hear our own intuition because we’ve turned to the experts about what we should do. Or turned to our friends and family. Or even turned to people we follow on social media.
The point here is this: Which way are you oriented? Inward or outward? Internally or externally? Are you looking within for the way or are you looking outside yourself?
When your go-to way of showing up in your life is to seek input and direction from others, you very likely drown out your own intuition. Perhaps you override what your intuition says or you don’t even hear it because of all the external voices and opinions and perspectives.
If you want to listen to your intuition, you have to actually hear it. And the only way you can hear is to turn inward instead of outward. To check in with your inner knowing rather than relying on external sources of guidance.
Idea #2: Trust yourself.
To turn inward and tap into your inner knowing requires you to trust yourself.
Once again, I look at this more as an environment being created rather than a step to take. I can’t simply write Trust myself on a To Do list and tick it off.
Trusting yourself is about a mindset.
What is a mindset really? It’s an attitude, a way of thinking, a set of thoughts you’ve gotten used to thinking.
Sometimes a client will lament not being good at hearing her intuition or not knowing how to get better at listening to her inner voice. On this subject, she has practiced thinking thoughts that do not serve her.
Thoughts like I’m just not very intuitive. I just don’t seem to be able to hear my inner voice. Other people seem to have some connection with intuition that I don’t have.
A core principle of Law of Attraction is you can only create what your beliefs support.
Can you see how my client’s thoughts are not creating the relationship she’d like to have with her intuition? She is choosing to believe things about her intuition that undermine her trust in herself.
What about you? What are your thoughts about your intuition? What do you believe about your relationship to your intuition?
Do you trust that you have intuition and that intuition will always guide you in the direction you need to go? Or would you tell me, I’m just not a very intuitive person. Or I just don’t seem to be able to hear my intuition.
“My intuition is always on my side. I trust it to be there at all times.” —Louise Hay
That’s what you want. To believe your intuition is always on your side. To trust it to be there at all times.
This requires trusting yourself. Trusting you are an intuitive person. Trusting you have the ability to tap into your own inner knowing and guidance.
“Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way.” —Florence Scovel Shinn
If you want to listen to your intuition, you have to build trust in yourself and in this way of navigating life. And the only way you can build trust in yourself is to be intentional about the thoughts you think. To choose thoughts that support creating the kind of relationship you would like to have with your intuition.
Idea #3: Create the space.
I have found that intuition needs space. To hear your intuition requires space.
Space as in quiet. Space as in stillness. Space as in quality time with yourself.
If you want to listen to your intuition, you have to take the time and create the space to cultivate this channel of communication
- If you pick up the phone to call your best friend or your Mom every time you have a problem or a decision to make, you are not creating the space to listen to your own intuition.
- If you live by committee, polling friends about what you should do and taking a survey of everyone to see what they think, you are not creating the space to listen to your own intuition.
- If you look to Facebook or Instagram for what it means to be enough or for your definition of success, you are not creating the space to listen to your own intuition.
- If you seek approval and permission from those around you, you are not creating the space to listen to your own intuition.
My point is when you always go to others first—regardless of who those others are—you are not taking the time and creating the space to cultivate a channel of communication with your own intuition.
This truly is a channel. Communication can and will flow when you make the time and create the space.
“Notice what happens when you follow your intuitive feelings. The result is usually increased energy and power, and a sense of things flowing.” —Shakti Gawain
Communication from your intuition can be booming or a whisper. Your intuition can be an inclination or idea, a nudge to go here, do this or simply a knowing.
Are you creating the space necessary to hear your intuition? Or are you too busy, too loud, too stressed, too distracted to hear what your intuition is saying?
If you want to receive, you have to be receptive. If you want to receive communication from your intuition, you have to create and cultivate the space to listen.
“Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.” —Oprah Winfrey
Listening to your intuition starts with a desire to listen to your intuition. That might sound obvious, but don’t underestimate the power of desire.
When you want to manifest something, it begins with the wanting, with the asking. So embrace the desire you have to listen to your intuition. In fact, you can make the asking explicit by declaring, I want to listen to my intuition.
Then create an environment for listening to your intuition by turning inward, by trusting yourself, and by creating space.
“Cease trying to work everything out with your mind. It will get you nowhere. Live by intuition and inspiration and let your whole life be Revelation.” —Eileen Caddy
