Trust Your Gut Instincts
Your intuitions are the foundations of your authentic self
A few years ago, an acquaintance let’s call her H, reached out to me seeking counsel. She was considering changing careers, but the thought of doing so in her 30s overwhelmed her. She worried she was too old, it was too late, or it was the wrong move. She knew I had pivoted careers and written about it on Clever-ish, so she wanted to get my opinion.
I asked her; What does your gut say? You see, her instincts already told her what to do. It told her to make the change, and it started as a quiet voice speaking from inside her heart and echoing from within her gut.
She was hesitant because she was afraid, which is understandable. However, the longer she ignored her gut instincts, the more uneasy she got.
What is it about our intuition that speaks so clearly, yet is the most often doubted and ignored? I think we are trained and influenced — by society, upbringing, culture, or core negative experiences — to ignore our instincts and instead only look outward for direction.
What I have always instinctively known (and then had to painfully relearn after I lost sight of who I was) is: your gut knows the path to take, what to choose, and the decision to make.
Your intuition is your intelligence in its purest form. Your intuition is the culmination of the knowledge, encounters, and information you’ve acquired both consciously and subconsciously. While you’re busy going through the world, gathering experiences, and interacting with people, your subconscious takes copious notes and records patterns.
Sometimes, your gut can tell right away what decision you need to take, whom to trust, when to sprint, and what to be cautious about. When you’re interacting with someone and you feel put off or sense you can't trust them, that is your subconscious mind screaming at you because it recognizes patterns from past experiences. Your conscious mind may not remember, but your subconscious mind does. You already know what to do, but you are afraid to act, so we find reasons to stall.
Your subconscious is armed with tons of evidence from patterns you repeat without realizing. From countless trials and errors and A/B testing that you’ve conducted without recording or remembering the results. Your subconscious mind, which powers your instincts, has all the notes and receipts. So when something feels off, pause and scrutinize further. When you feel pulled in a particular direction, do not ignore. Listen to your gut.
After hearing H out some more, I asked her, are you looking for confirmation of what you already know you need to do? Or are you looking for someone to validate your fears and tell you, “yes, stay put, stay small, don’t take any risks”?.
A lot of us have learned to quiet our raw intuition and clog our minds with varying opinions, endless research, over-preparation, procrastination, catastrophization, and fear.
Trusting your gut doesn’t mean you should act without logic or seek good counsel. Trusting your gut doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your due diligence, research, or consider alternate routes (actually, sometimes your instinct calls for this).
But it is important to know the difference between proper due diligence and our attempt to stall and find information that feeds our fear. But when you continue to seek the same advice over and over till it’s redundant, when you become a pro at coming up with legitimate excuses, and you keep saying, “I need to do more research”. All the while, deep down, you already know what you need to do, but you’re just afraid to act.
The reality is that when you ignore your gut instincts long enough, it goes silent. Your inner monologue grows quiet, and your point of view wanes and fades. You find yourself defaulting to outside opinions and seeking external validation for everything and from everyone before you can make up your mind — even for the smallest things. And sadly, even for the most personal decisions that require your uniqueness.
When you learn to follow your instincts, they sharpen, your internal compass gets better, and you trust yourself more. The more you follow your instincts, the clearer it speaks and the more confident and intentional you get. You move with more clarity and calmness. You can decipher for yourself what risks to take, what decisions need to be paused, and what to prioritize.
One of the many lessons I’ve learned in my life is the importance of listening to my intuition and trusting my gut. I strongly believe learning to listen to your gut instincts can save you from living a life that is counter to your true self. My gut has been a beacon when I need to make moves or decisions about what to do, who to trust, and which path to take.
If living with intentionality is the motor that will take you to your North Star, your gut instincts are the steering wheel. Your intuitions are the foundations of your authentic self.
Unfortunately, I have experienced the fallout of not trusting my gut and not moving with intentionality. These teaching moments helped reinforce the importance of leading from within and trusting my inner compass. I’ve tried both and I can tell you which one will lead to a more fulfilling, true, and content life.
Want to get better at listening to your gut? Try this:
The next time you are in dialogue with yourself, pause, close your eyes, and listen to your heart. Which voice is calmer and more secure, and which is loud and trying to make you afraid? Follow the calm voice. As my friend Lauren taught me: Let peace be your referee.
Links I sent my friends:
The internet is a deluge of information, and I think a bit of curation from sources you trust or like goes a long way. Here are 2 things worth checking out:
For anyone scared to put their work out there: Work to Publish by Co-founder and CEO of Patreon, Jack Conte (Video)
Honey, you had me at late-night cafe!: Why Do Yemeni Coffeehouses Seem to Be Everywhere Lately? For cafes like Haraz Coffee House, riding a wave of interest nationwide in late-night, alcohol-free gathering spaces means embracing the franchise model.
and share with a friend.
A valuable message, elegantly expressed. Thanks for sharing these thoughts.