Re-Learning How to Follow Your Intuition
Contents
We have become used to thinking before we act, choosing wisdom over impulsivity, and reason over spontaneity. At first glance it would seem like using our sense of reasoning to advance in life, avoid making mistakes, and reach success, is a good idea. But is it possible that we have learned to overthink and that it is to the detriment of our intuition? Could the fact that we have so much knowledge, that we use rules, logic, and common sense be preventing us from trusting what we feel? Have we become our own prisons? In this article, we will see how our thinking brain has taken over to the detriment of our inner voice and how we can learn to use our intuition as a powerful ally to achieve a more fulfilled life.
How our childhood affects our personality?
Ever since we were children we learned to call everything into question, to think of the consequences of our actions, and exercise caution. As children, we often heard words of caution: “be careful, you’re going to hurt yourself,” “Think before you act or you’ll make mistakes,” “don’t be so messy, stay attentive and stay between the lines to make a pretty drawing.” Of course, these warnings came from a good place when our caregivers were only trying to protect us and help us learn some new skills.
And then it was the teachers’ turn to warn us about possible consequences of acts done without much thought. “If you don’t think about your future and what you want to become when you grow up, you’ll end up with a job you don’t like.” And above all else, society as a whole has always put pressure on us to be more serious and judicious: “If you eat this, you’ll end up with diabetes,” “If you don’t exercise you’ll have heart problems”… So we have learned and integrated the idea that spontaneous, thoughtless, and impulsive acts would most likely lead to negative consequences.
Regardless if we have more of a rebellious or a disciplined personality, these ideas have an undeniable effect on our image of the world and on how we should act. People with more of a rebellious type of personality would have a tendency to act against these ideas. If we are more disciplined, we would have the natural tendency to follow these guides and their recommendations thinking we are doing the best we can for ourselves and those around us. In each of these cases, we are heavily influenced by society’s governing rules. The behaviour we choose to adopt is therefore not entirely natural but is influenced by these rules.
So, if it is unthinkable to imagine a society without rules, why is it still important to learn to think less in order to move towards a life that really suits us?
The tyranny of the mind
Unlearn overthinking in order to learn to listen to our inner selves
Thinking too much stops us from moving forward. How often have you pondered a question as simple as “strawberry or banana?” When faced with such choices, we always have a first reflex, an answer, that jumps at us right before our mind starts thinking: “Yum, a strawberry!” And then, in less than a second we start thinking: “A strawberry sounds good, but bananas are more nutritious…I also read that bananas are full of potassium and my doctor told me that I am low in potassium, so a banana would be much better for me”…”But a strawberry would be so good! I don’t really feel like having a banana…but I’ll still be hungry if I only eat a strawberry!”
Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Don’t worry, you are definitely not alone. With this example, I’m sure you understand better why calming our mind to make room for action, spontaneity, and life is vital. Being too careful and thinking too much simply stops us from appreciating the simple acts in life, from making a leap into the present. Imagine if you’d follow each and every recommendation that you’ve heard and read to improve your health, raise your children, clean your house, have a happy romantic relationship, be more organized, more efficient…It would simply be unbearable.
In our minds, we naturally sort through the advice that we receive and that would influence our choices. We instinctively know that without some sense of freedom we can’t be happy. We do not usually mindlessly follow ideas that are coming from others, but what about the ones that we impose on ourselves?
We tend to believe that our lack of freedom of action comes from outside ourselves. When we feel suffocated we blame our job, our obligations, our partner, our children…However, a large part of it comes from our own mind. We create our own prison. Our beliefs, history, fears, wants – in short, our ego – dictates what we can or can’t do. Our greatest tyrant is inside our heads and is the main reason why we feel we don’t have control of our lives.
Waking up our intuition and spontaneity
Rest assured, you can regain control of your mind and start feeling mentally lighter, all while exercising self-care and go forward in life in a healthier manner. But to reach this goal you need to learn to listen to your intuition. I’m sure you know what I am referring to. That gut feeling that we often hear about, but that seems elusive and difficult to grasp. Each and every one of us has intuition, but most of us were never taught how to use it. What I am proposing to you today is to find the keys to your mental freedom by learning to listen to your intuition. However, because your intuition is deep within you, if, like most of us, your mind has always taken over, you will need to do some work to find it and awaken it.
What exactly is intuition?
So, what’s intuition exactly? Our intuition is like an innate form of intelligence that is unique to each of us. It’s an internal process that doesn’t require logic, thinking, or knowledge. Our intuition gives us access to our true nature. It’s the part of ourselves that is calm, is aware of what is good for us, for those around us, and for our environment.
Why should you awaken your intuition?
- To learn to trust your unique view of the world.
- To make choices that are right for you.
- To make decisions that really matter to you.
- To express your true personality without fear, in complete freedom.
- To not fear the unknown and novelties of life.
- To lead a more spontaneous and exciting life!
As incredible as it seems we all have the keys to leading a more fulfilling life that is unique and makes perfect sense for us. But to achieve this goal we need to learn to detach ourselves from our minds. The best way to reach this goal is, without a doubt, to start meditating. By meditating daily we start to find a balance between our mind and our intuition. Thanks to this balance we can go forward in life with peace within ourselves and act freely, by using our mind when it’s necessary but without letting it take over constantly.
So, are you ready to start trusting your intuition? Tell us in the comments: in the future what would you like to be able to achieve in your life without overthinking? Answer below, we’d love to read your thoughts!