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 Last week, we launched a brief Pathway series focusing on Intuition, the
everyday miracle Click.
Intuition is not a talent granted to only a limited number of gifted persons, or
those of the more "touchy-feeling" persuasion. The use of intuition is an
ability that we each possess, and can access through the act of noticing what's
happening within ourselves. Intuition is also greater than a hunch; it expresses
itself as a language, spoken by both the brain and the body, to help us draw
clearer insights. Everybody, and every body, can gain access to this language,
if we pay attention.
When I am tuned into the signals that my body is sending, I am also tuned into
my intuition, or "gut feeling." For example, when something "feels right," I
notice that I have a warm and excited energy which flows through the middle of
my body and centers itself within my chest. On other hand, when a situation or
decision "feels wrong," it literally exhibits itself as an unsettled feeling in
my stomach and a distinct pain in my head.
I certainly do not deny the need for balanced decision-making and the
consideration of objective and measurable data. We cannot discount the
importance of weighing logical evidence as part such processes. However, "if we
cling to logic alone, we're using only a small percentage of our capacity to
know," says intuitive teacher Penney Peirce.
Throughout our lives and vast learning experiences, our brains and bodies
accumulate a vast amount of wisdom about what is right, safe and good for us.
Daniel Goleman, in Primal Leadership, explains that "because this kind of
learning goes on largely in a deep zone of the brain outside of the realm of
words (in the basal ganglia, a primitive part of the brain atop the spinal
cord), leaders need to know when to trust their intuitive sense to access their
life wisdom. The circuitry involved in puzzling decisions, in fact, includes not
just the basal ganglia, but also the amygdala, where the brain stores the
emotions associated with memories."
When we face a moment of decision, the brain goes through a series of decision
rules and informs us with a sense of what "feels right" by activating the
circuitry that runs from the limbic centers into the stomach. The emotional
center of the brain informs us of its conclusions through circuitry that runs
from the limbic centers into the gastrointestinal tract. This literally creates
the "gut feeling" that is part of the intuitive process.
When an association between an event and an emotional response is stored in
memory, your body's reaction will become intuitive when faced with another,
similar situation. Thus, you may not even need to think about a decision but can
react intuitively. For instance, when you meet someone you like, your brain
stores distinct impressions regarding that person and, the next time you meet
someone who feels similar, you instinctively feel a sense of familiar comfort.
Your brain has used the stored memory, applied it to this similar circumstance,
and applied your body's knowledge without having to think about it. You have a
gut feeling that allows you to like and trust this person instinctively.
Your body is an incredible source of wisdom; a wisdom gained from all the
experiences that have been your life. Make paying attention to the signals your
body is sending a nonnegotiable part of your decision-making process. Notice
your "gut feelings," your headaches, your energy shifts and energy zappers and
use them as additional, necessary information.
Coaching Questions: What has your body been telling you lately? Where does fear
show up in your body? What about joy, hope, anger, and mistrust? What have been
the consequences of ignoring the messages of your body? What have been the
rewards?
 To reply to this Pathway, use our
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Creativity Coaching Programs and to
arrange for a complementary Creativity coaching session, use our
Contact Form or
Email Erika.
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Erika Jackson
(Erika@LifeTrekCoaching.com)
LifeTrek Coaching International
Columbus, OH
U.S.A.
Telephone: 614-565-9953
Fax: 208-977-7793
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