Have you ever ignored your intuition then wished you hadn’t? Frustrating, isn’t it? 20/20 hindsight kicks in, then the only thing you feel like kicking is yourself! As frustrating as it can be, these experiences hold tremendous value. All we have to do is take a closer look…
Photo by: Lauren Rushing
One of the best ways to begin developing trust in your intuition is by looking back in your life and recalling times when you ignored it. You know, like that little voice that told you not to take the freeway today… Oh, wait. That was me.
Yep… I’m actually sitting in my car as I write this. Pulled over on the side of the road, waiting for the tow truck to arrive. It’s going on nearly three hours at this point due to repeated “mix-ups” (or so I am told).
Not fun. The most frustrating thing about it all, though, is that I knew I shouldn’t have taken the freeway! Ok, so, I didn’t reeeally know… otherwise I wouldn’t have gone that route. I did, however, receive a warning sign… but then totally ignored it! [Insert expletives here.]
Yes. It happens to all of us.
Just a couple of hours ago, I was in a cheerful, positive mood, excited to try out a new yoga class. I’m in LA right now and always take the freeway, but for some reason, a few seconds after getting onto the road a thought popped into my mind saying, “Hmmm… maybe I shouldn’t take the freeway today and try a different route instead. Maybe I should take surface streets…”
I considered it for a brief moment, but then brushed it off. “The freeway is faster”, I thought, so just continued on my way.
But, low and behold, just a few minutes later, there I was… rear ended by a green Mini Cooper and pulled over on the side of the freeway. Ahhhhh!
The lesson here?
Are you sure you want to ignore that little voice?
There is no way that getting into a car accident can be considered fun. But there is a seed of wisdom here… a blessing of sorts, as there is in all such situations when our intuition (or whatever you want to call it) makes itself known.
Even if we do not heed its message, the gift lies in knowing that we did, indeed, receive some kind of signal. We may not have paid attention to it or trusted it, but simply looking back and recognizing it is enough to help us gain more trust and faith that we know so much more than we often give ourselves credit for.
A poignant reminder…
As for my situation, I am grateful for this poignant reminder to remain vigilant and attentive to those fleeting hunches and whispers… it is comforting to know that I truly do have an internal compass guiding me. It’s just a matter of really tuning in and listening.
Intuition is subtle
It’s also a reminder of how subtle our intuition can be. Often just a quiet, passing thought that can help guide us to incredible opportunities and breakthroughs, as well as avert disaster or simple annoyances. And yes, even car accidents. ;-)
The tricky thing for me is that my intuition often communicates via thoughts. So, I just assume that it is my own mental chatter and dismiss the messages I receive instead of heeding the advice.
Well, today was a stark reminder. One that I hope will be able to serve others and help you to avoid the same mistake I made today.
On the positive side of things, at least it has given me the quiet time to write this blog post… I’m sitting in my car waiting for a tow truck to arrive. The new ETA? 20 more minutes.
The sun is shining here in Santa Monica, so I will just sit and be… enjoy the cool breeze and warm sunshine.
Live and learn… and pass it on!
P.S. Check out our previous blog post How to Recognize Intuition. ;-)
