Developing Intuition: The Mind Trap
Posted on June 5, 2008
Filed Under How To Develop Your Intuition, Spiritual Development |
Our intuition communicates with us all day long. Many of us receive this communication quite clearly - even many of us who don’t consider ourselves particularly intuitive. Ideas spring into our minds out of nowhere. We are inspired with bursts of creativity. We feel the nudge to pick up the phone, the sense that words are placed into our mouths that must be said. All this is intuition - communication from our Spirit.
But then we commit one fatal mistake. Before we act on those ideas, bring forth the inspiration, make that phone call or speak out loud, we think about it. We try to justify the impulse, to explain it to ourselves. We struggle to come up with a good reason for taking inspired action as guided, or we try our best to talk ourselves out of that action. We try to figure out where it will all go. We attach outcomes. We think so much that perhaps we don’t end up doing anything at all. Or maybe we take action that is a rationalized, altered version of the original intuitive impulse. All too often, we think ourselves out of acting on guidance.
Here’s a fun way to create the habit of simply taking action when Divine inspiration strikes.
Set an intention - something that you can feasibly create or accomplish within the next three or four days. Make it something real, something tangible. Then ask your Higher Self and your Guides: “What actions can I take in the next three days that will contribute to manifesting my desired outcome of (state your intention)?”
Now comes the real fun. Whatever impulse you receive - do it. Even if it makes no sense right now, even if it has no obvious connection to your intention - just do it. For three days, act first. You can think later.
A few ground rules:
Taking action does not mean doing research, writing it down on a to-do list, or putting it in your calendar. Taking action does not mean reading about something, or even journaling. Journaling is thinking on paper. It has its place, but this isn’t it. For the sake of this exercise, your action must be expressed into the world. That means that other people can perceive your actions.
The next two ground rules should be self-evident, but I just want to be sure no-one gets carried away! Don’t spend any money you don’t have. And remember that Spirit would never guide us to do anything that could conceivably be hurtful to another person … just in case you feel moved to insult your boss!
Give yourself three days without thinking yourself out of Divine guidance. By the end of three days, you may have begun creating remarkable results in your life. Try it, and share your experience in the comments!
Blessings,
Andrea
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17 Responses to “Developing Intuition: The Mind Trap”
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Develop Your Intuition!
Andrea, thanks for the reminder. Our minds are just SOOO good at claiming credit for keeping us “sane” and talking us out of spontaneity, aren’t they? Some of these thoughts are nicely disguised as “safety nets” while they subtly coax us out of action. I will do this 3-day exercise … this should be fun!
I love it — I’m in! Yikes!!
Brenda
let’s do it… I mean, okay, i’ll do it!
Excellent exercise, Andrea! I love it what you said about journaling being thinking on paper - great for thinking, but studying, even studying yourself, is a potentially endless loop.
I’m hosting a circle this month where we, the participants, are all working as a group to retrieve intuitive information from our guides. Over the past few months, I’ve written so many lessons, so many theories, so much to think about, so many WORDS.
Even though it’s all good stuff, I felt that too much of the material was not Action, and I threw out everything that was not centered around immediate measurable actions, with results other people can see.
Speed and immediacy are powerful parameters for getting in there ahead of that thinking mind taking over and unraveling everything.
How can you be “sure”? Well, you really don’t make sure. Even scientific theories start as instinct, sometimes a remarkably wild intuition, that must be acted upon, repeatedly, to gather the data that will allow you to “make sure.” Even then, we’re looking at patterns and trends.
I think that journals might be more effectively used as records of those actions and the data, the trends, the patterns, the evidence - use them less for planning. In other words, instead of recording what you’re “gonna do,” save your journal for what you DID.
I LOVE IT!! I’m with Slade, get some immediacy going. I’ve thought myself INTO and OUT OF way too much in live. Think, think, think was my old mantra. And it got me…. nothing! I think I’m going to experiment with this exercise and report back.
You know, one of my favorite spiritual teachers always counsels people to do “the next most obvious thing.” Again, no thinking about it. Just observing your life, and simply asking, “what is the most obvious thing for me to do right now?” I can feel how that plus what you are suggesting, Andrea, could form the basis for a new way of living.
Alright, I’m gonna do it. I’ll let you know. Hmm… Even better, I will do a blog entry on it after the experiment. I’ll do what Slade suggested: journal AFTER.
I love this and maybe its because I LOVE that feeling of inspiration and I think its safe to say for the most part I am not afraid to follow my intuition and I always see what second guessing certain instincts cost me.
I also love how you said “Don’t spend any money you don’t have. And remember that Spirit would never guide us to do anything that could conceivably be hurtful to another person … just in case you feel moved to insult your boss!”
There is such a difference and if it doesnt honestly feel good, most likely it just isnt
Thank you for this!
I think to clarify my last statement - if it doesn’t feel good meaning if it doesn’t feel like you’re doing the right thing .. not due to overthinking but rather your gut feeling - THEN most likely it just isn’t good
lol
This sounds like a lot of fun. I love this! Now to think of an intention …
Hi Andrea,
I love this post, but I have one question.
What kind of things do we intend to “feasibly create or accomplish within the next three or four days”? I thought about this, and all my intentions are pretty big — thriving business (my main focus now), purchase of new house and car (I’m not in a hurry for either, just when the timing is right), maybe a cute boyfriend . . . Seriously, am I too much in the spiritual world? I’m basically healthy and happy the way I look and feel (would love it if my knees get stronger, and with better vision, but again, these are pretty big intentions, too. . .)
Oh, and I want to visit Europe, too. I’ve never been there. Italy and Spain specifically. But again, these are pretty big, and even if someone gives me the ticket, now is not a good time — establishing my business is my current priority.
On the other hand, things to be done in a few days are pretty much planned out. I’m watching the market and if it hits bottom, I’ll buy the ETF I’ve been looking at. I’ll work on my new website with my graphic designer. That kind of thing — achievable in a few days, yes, but do I need to ask for divine guidance? I mean, everything is supported by divine power, but for your exercise about inspired action — Hmm. . . ?
I’m so excited that you all are willing to jump in and try this!
Irene - Absolutely! Our mind will supply a reason for everything, and if it can’t find one, it will try and talk us out of action.
Brenda & Karen - Yeah!!! Do come back and post a comment about your experiences!
Slade - I completely agree with you! In my last intuitive development class, we used journaling to record our requests for assistance, a record of nudges, and actions taken. Journaling is great for following the energetic breadcrumb trail between intent, action, and eventual outcome. And that breadcrumb trail definitely never materializes without that “action” piece!
Tom - Thank you! “The next most obvious thing …” I love it! It definitely would keep us out of paralysis by analysis. I love the idea of combining that with intuition - to make sure we’re not just directed by what is most obvious to our minds, since our minds will definitely have an opinion on that!
Looking forward to that post …. I loved your recent video post, by the way!
JEMi - Thanks for your comment AND clarification! I love that feeling of inspired action, too … there’s such a sense of flow and ease, even if it doesn’t all make immediate and obvious sense on the surface. I agree with you on the gut-level feeling. Intuition will take us out of our comfort zone, but will never ask us to do anything that feels truly “wrong.”
Louise and Akemi - That’s another great part of this exercise - we actually have to create an intent. Sometimes, I completely stump my coaching clients with this. Akemi, you bring up an excellent point. All your intentions are “pretty big.” I think lots of people can identify with that, myself included! But life happens today, tomorrow - not in six months. We take action right now. Divine Guidance works with us in the small, every day stuff. We all have these “big things” we want to do “one day” or in the next year - but the stage for those things to manifest is set right now. And there is nothing too mundane (like working on a website) to ask for Divine guidance and assistance.
So there’s two ways to proceed here: Breaking down the “big intentions” into manageable bite-sized chunks. If a cute boyfriend is on the list, making a date with someone in the next three days could be an intention. If the goals are based around finances (buying a house or car), the intention can always be to receive one or two new clients into our business in the next three days.
Set your intention - let go of all that is “planned out” a little bit. Inspiration might surprise you and yield delightful results.
Blessings,
Andrea
Andrea,
This excercise is right along the lines of thought I’ve been having. Specially when actions are very small, it is easy to just act and then observe what happens. I have several of those mini-experiments unfolding right now.
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Hi Andrea
Once again you have come up with the most practical spiritual advice. Although sometimes these two concepts are juxtaposed they cannot work independently as they are a potent synergistic blend. All too often it is easy to revert to one or the other and totally forget that when you work in both realms , well thats when the magic comes to ground! I have set my intent and will let you know what occurs. Thank you
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I’m amazed at the response here about developing intuition, something that I’m hoping to do more of. Is it really possible to turn off my incessant thinking during the day and even when I am not meditating? I guess one way is to cultivate present moment awareness. Live each moment fully. And don’t think!