Life is enriched by the intuitive process. Logic will get your shoes tied and your belly fed, but intuition is what guides your feet on the path and shows your spirit how to soar. When reason and intuition are working in harmony, then a clear sense of purpose develops, along with the strength of will to fulfill it.
We can’t determine our path in life by reason alone. There is no objective standard that we can use to apply logic to the question. It presupposes that we all have a higher purpose, or a reason for being here. That assumption is not based on any objective standard, but rather on some deep inner sense of knowing. We know we have a reason to be here, fundamentally, because it feels like the truth. No other logic or reason will suffice. That inner knowledge of purpose is the well-spring of intuition.
Since our sense of purpose is directly inspired by our intuition in the first place, it is intuition’s role to guide us toward finding that purpose. Intuition leads you to find the right book at the right time. Intuition prompts you to ask the right question to the right person. Intuition inspires you to explore in new directions, and nudges you when you haven’t got a clue. It rings the “inner bell” of truth, so you know it when you hear it.
Intuition also helps to guard us from things that would distract us from finding our purpose. Intuition will assist in preventing physical, mental, and spiritual harm. When you feel an aversion for an activity, or suddenly decide to change your plans, your intuition is perhaps protecting you from physical harm, so as to continue your journey through this life. Intuition can help guide us through conflicts with others, so that the situation is resolved in a way that empowers all involved. Intuition will tell you when you are on the wrong path by sending feelings of discomfort. Whatever will alleviate the discomfort will move you in the direction you are supposed to go.
Intuition is an essential spiritual faculty that is available to all of us. Although it may appear that some people are naturally more intuitive than others, developing and refining our intuition is possible for all of us. Strengthening this innate sense involves two things: the patience to listen, and the courage to trust what you feel.
In order for us to allow intuition to guide us, we must first learn to listen within. Our thoughts are usually racing through our heads, and we often are trying to think of many things at once. With all of the busy thoughts that keep us distracted, it’s difficult to find that quiet, steady small inner voice. Spending a few moments each day in meditation or quiet contemplation is an excellent method of quieting the mind enough to learn to listen within. Keeping a journal to record thoughts, dreams, and inspirations is another excellent method. Once your inner voice of intuition believes that your are taking it seriously, it will begin to speak more clearly to you.
The next critical skill needed for developing intuition is a sense of trust. Our intuitive insights are worthless if we aren’t willing to trust what they are telling us. If you disbelieve and dismiss your intuitive thoughts, then they will gradually dwindle and fall silent. Following your intuition requires courage. It sometimes requires us to follow a course of action that our logic rebels at. Our intuition sometimes asks things of us that don’t initially have a clear purpose or outcome. It takes courage to follow through on these intuitive promptings, but gradually, as you allow room in your life for these events to occur, you will notice how magically your life seems to flow.
Allowing reason to be informed by intuition unlocks the spiritual potential in us all. It expands our possibilities, and allows us to move toward our higher purpose. By listening within, trusting ourselves, and having the courage to follow our convictions, intuition will guide us on a life journey toward greater fulfillment and happiness.
~Flame RavenHawk
January 30, 2003