Decisions, Decisions
Have you ever made a decision that didn’t sit right with you? Perhaps you had initially made a different decision but then backed out at the last minute. Or perhaps you caved to peer pressure. I mean your friend did say if you did x,y,z then the desired result would happen right?
But that something is niggling at you.
It feels off.
It just doesn’t feel right.
And you question that feeling because the ‘experts’ said it were for the best.
What do you do?
Oh, I know you, you went for what was ‘safe’ didn’t you but you regretted it afterwards right?
THE SITUATION
Let me set the scene for you.
As a mum of a now 4 month old I’ve been on and off trying tummy time with Flynn. You see everyone says you are supposed to do it because it helps them gain strength for lifting their head, helps them to crawl and eventually stand, and prevents a misshapen head. Well every time I would do it Flynn would huff and puff. He looked distressed. A couple of times he vomited. This past week I decided enough was enough. It just didn’t sit right with me. I thought surely he’ll figure out how to roll and crawl when the time is right because instinctively they move onto the next step when ready.
So I did what all good educators do and I did some research. I came across a great book by Janet Lansbury called “Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting” and I felt my shoulders ease as I read through. I love this quote in the book by body scientist Irene Lyon:
Consider how hard it is for most adults to sit on the floor with their pelvis fully under them. More people are realizing how hard this is as sitting meditation becomes more en vogue, just as yoga made people realize how short their hamstrings are. But, if you give a kid the chance to find their own way to sitting, it means they have properly engineered their bodies in the best way possible for them through their own discovery and movement, and of course learning how to form curves in their spine and hips, how to find the flexibility in their ankle and knee joints. When given the chance to do it on their own, it is a gradual organic process and the form follows the functionality.
There’s even a super cool video to go with this showing the baby going from lying on her back to rolling to her front. You can watch it here.
And here’s the point.
Tummy time from the word go felt wrong to me but I persisted because ‘everyone’ said it was the right thing to do.
I went against my natural instinct.
I supressed my intuition.
And you’ve done it too. I’m sure even as you read this you can think of a few situations where you’ve dulled your sparkle and hidden what you really felt was right.
So how can you know intuitively what to do the next time you have to make a decision?
3 SURE FIRE TIPS TO FEELING INTUITIVELY SECURE
#1 Stop trying to rationalise and listen to what your heart is telling you.
Instead of going straight to Google or the many books you have sitting on your shelves on the topic, sit with it. Often we busy ourselves to avoid dealing with the decision. Where is your safe place? Could you go there (even in your mind while meditating)? What does your heart tell you to do?
Do you feel expansive or contracted?
Marie Forleo has a great video on this that sums it up. You can check it out <HERE>
#2 Ask yourself am I making a decision out of fear or love?
When I put Flynn on his tummy it was really because I was worried what may happen to him if I didn’t try it. I played a lot of ‘what ifs’ in my mind. My decision to let him develop at his own rate was for me a more loving response. He loves playing on his back. He’s already started to half roll anyways. Being a parent is not a competition.
Caroline Myss once said that:
We often hesitate to follow our intuition out of fear. Usually we are afraid of the changes in our own life that our actions may bring. We fear our intuitions because we fear the transformational power within our revelations.
Ask yourself am I squashing my intuition because I’m scared that if I don’t do something a certain way I am not acceptable? Am I fearful of tackling it the way my intuition is telling me because it goes against everything I am used to and that makes me scared? What amazing things might you be missing out on because you’re making a decision based on fear rather than love?
For me intuition is also Holy Spirit. Could the Spirit be leading you to do something but you are blinded by the world’s expectations? God has not given you a spirit of fear but of peace, love and self disciple. (2 Timothy 1:7). We are not designed for fearful living but we are wired for love! Check in with your decision and see if you are making it from fear or love.
# 3 Pay Attention to your Subconscious Mind.
Start looking for patterns. I really like to journal. In fact, when there is resistance I tend to avoid journal writing as I know it will help me process stuff and often I know that will be hard work. What is coming up for you as you write? What types of dreams are you having? What kind of signs or messages are coming up for you during meditation? Even feel into your body. Ask your subconscious mind to reveal things to you. Pray from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Please God may my mind make the right decisions, may my hands serve, may my feet go where you want them to go.
How do you know your intuition is secure? What tips do you stand by to know your intuition is on track? Comment below and let’s get a conversation started. If you liked the post please share using the buttons below.