Most of us are not very adept at dealing with uncertainty. We prefer certainties and guarantees. You know those moments when you ignore your strong intuition or gut feeling, become fearful, and seek reassurance from others, asking, “What do you think?” “Should I do it?”

Our craving for certainty undermines our intuition in those instances. We know the right course of action, yet we often disregard what our heart tells us, sometimes awaiting additional information and, at other times, acting impulsively on inaccurate details.

The use of intuition is typically discouraged in the business world, where we are advised to make ‘evidence-based’ decisions. While I have no issues with this general notion, I cannot recall ever having had perfect information for significant decisions. Conversely, trusting my intuition and treating its signals as data points has guided me through the most important choices in my life.

Some of these decisions may appear to be illogical – such as walking away from a lucrative business opportunity, or declining a job offer. However, when my gut tells me it will not work, I have learned to heed its warning. After all, this intuition is grounded in all I have learnt and experienced in life thus far.

Learning how to recognise and utilise intuition is a journey. To rely more on intuition, one must become aware of our fear responses and be able to observe them in our physical being. When we are frightened, our bodies generally respond by wanting to run, fight, or curl up to self-protect. Typically, when fear is present, there is a sensation of contraction. This is a common sensation for employees to feel around their bosses 😊

Contrasting with fear, we also experience feeling “great” within us. This is a more expansive sensation in the body, perhaps felt in the chest or throat area. When you sense this expansive feeling in the face of a decision, it often serves as a nudge towards something, even if your rational mind may be vehemently urging you not to proceed! Bold calls made by entrepreneurs are usually driven from this feeling.

Of course facts must not be ignored, but engaging in the practice of actively seeking guidance from your intuition is invaluable to learn and cultivate because, in most life situations, it will likely guide you towards decisions which suit you better!