Imagine if you had a secret superpower that let you always make the best decisions for yourself. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Whether it was a business decision, a relationship one, a health one, whatever – with its help, you’d always know the best choice and the best path to take.
Well guess what – you already have that exact ability. We all do, in fact. That superpower is your intuition. (And I can’t wait to share how my intuition lead me to my latest project… more on that later).
When you know how to tune in to its wisdom, your intuition can be one of the most powerful life-tools you have at your disposal. And it’s FREE! So many successful people rely on their inner ‘hunch’ to point them in the right direction – from billionaire investors, to Nobel prize-winning scientists, all the way through to artists, entrepreneurs, and healers. Heck, even Oprah credits the success of her ever-growing empire to her willingness to listen to her inner guidance system and heed its whispers.
In fact, my whole life and business is built on intuition. I have started projects and halfway through realised they didn’t feel right so I let them go. I have also said, ‘no thank you’ to many invitations because my intuition said ‘no’.
But what if you’ve lost touch with your intuition? What if you have a very loud inner critic? What if you’ve spent so long ignoring its quiet murmurs that now you can’t hear or feel it at all? And what if you don’t know how to tune in and listen to its wisdom? If that’s the case, don’t fret — I got your back!
Here are 5 simple steps to strengthen your intuition and tune in to your inner wisdom.
1. Master your inner critic.
One of the biggest reasons we lose touch with our inner guidance system is because it’s drowned out by our seriously loud inner critic. It’s that noisy voice inside your head that’s always telling you you’re not good enough, smart enough, thin enough, successful enough, rich enough, working hard enough, progressing fast enough… whatever enough! And when that voice is at full volume, it can feel VERY challenging to feel and hear the whispers of your intuition.
The first step towards mastering your inner critic is becoming aware of when it rears its head. Pay attention to when it pipes up and what it’s saying, then consciously and lovingly choose to close the door on it and then choose a loving thought instead.
2. Go with your gut.
Your body is the temple of your intuition, and with practice, it can become a finely tuned instrument to convey its wisdom. All the tiny, involuntary sensations you feel within your body – from the flutter in your belly, to the tightness in your chest, to the clenching in your gut – are actually your intuition trying to tell you something.
Next time you need to make a decision, pay attention to how your body is reacting – are your cells sending you vibrations of joy or repulsion? Are you expanding or are you contracting? Close your eyes and tune into that feeling within and follow it.
3. Pick a card.
There are many external tools that can help you strengthen your inner wisdom too. Oracle cards are one of my favourites.
Shuffle a deck of your favourite cards while silently asking a question you’d like answered. Then, without thinking about it too much, pick the card you’re drawn to most. (When in doubt, go with your first instinct.) Flip it over and see what it has to say – What wisdom can you draw from the card? What is the Universe trying to tell you? How can you apply that insight to the present moment?
4. Dare to dream.
Your dreams are a fertile feeding ground for the seeds of your intuition to take root. To tune in to the power of your dreams, try keeping a journal next to your bed. First thing in the morning, before you leap out from under the covers (and definitely before you check your phone!), jot down what you can remember about your dreams. Were there any symbols or motifs that appeared? Was there anything that felt meaningful, even though you’re not quite sure why?
Observe what comes up over the next week or two to see if you can identify any repeating patterns, or any connections between your dreams and your daily life.
5. Go on a date with Mother Nature.
Getting out into nature is one of the BEST ways to quiet down the chatter of your mind, connect with your true essence, and allow the inner space for your intuition to flourish. You’ll get the most benefit from immersive experiences – say, diving in the ocean, or hiking through a forest. Whatever you choose, allow yourself to be all there and fully present wherever you are… You’ll be blown away by the wisdom that rises to the surface when you simply create the space for it!
When practiced regularly, these 5 suggestions are unbelievably effective at strengthening your intuition and creating more abundance in all areas of your life. Before you know it, you’ll be making snap decisions with confidence, trusting your gut, and effortlessly steering yourself towards your best most abundant life ever.
A little personal story for you… For about a year, my intuition was telling me to start a podcast but my inner critic told me, ‘I’d missed the podcasting boat’ so not to bother. So I let it win. But every few weeks my intuition would pop up and whisper, ‘Start that podcast, Melissa’, ‘Just do it’. Swiftly followed by my inner critic saying, ‘Get over it, you have totally missed the boat!’ That is, until I cottoned on to what my inner critic was up to (trying to keep me ‘safe’ in my comfort zone, as usual!) and realised that my intuition was too loud to ignore… so I decided to launch my podcast.
The thing is that which is true for you never goes away. It’s always there waiting for you to show up.
Ignoring your intuition isn’t going to work. But strengthening it will radically rock your world.
Now I would love to hear from you — Has there been a time in your life where you have followed your intuition and it led to magical things? Or has there been a time in your life where you ignored your intuition and you ended up with an ugly slap in the face? Share with me in the comments below.