on learning to trust intuition, et al

[Idylle Moon Dancer]

first I'd like to express my appreciation for this place and everyone here. I find you all and it very soothing.

Lately I've been feeling like I would be a lot closer to where I should be had I been better able to trust my intuition and/or been able to distinguish it from "something else." Maybe I'm getting better with this, it's hard for me to tell and I seek guidance; recently I had a strong urge to direct someone here, who's been having some difficulties, towards one of my compositions. I'm very, perhaps excessively and detrimentally, paranoid about people stealing my work. For several days "the urge" and the paranoia did battle, with "the urge" emerging victorious, and I received validation that I'd done the right thing, and it feels very good.

That anecdote illustrates a common theme in my life, that of battle between intuition and fear of risk, of the unknown, of uncertainty in my intuition; all too often, it seems, it is fear that wins.

et al: this seems related somehow, but I can't consciously express a connection:

When I was very young I had frequent dreams where I was floating around in my kitchen/pantry; these dreams were very vivid, perhaps even lucid, and all of the physical details of the dream kitchen matched those of the awake kitchen. I have no idea why I was floating around in my kitchen, except maybe that I liked to climb on top of the refrigerator when I was awake. Within a small few years of having these dreams I had the only prescient dream that I can recall, concerning the feeding habits of cicadas.

[I Have A Dream]

1. I also have a problem with being able to trust my intuition.

However, my problem is in reference to being able to decide whether or not something's going to happen or if I need to make a personal decision such as whether I should leave my current job. (In the latter case, I feel as though I usually don't have any intuition at all.)

I find that the place where I can best trust my intuition is when I'm feeling drawn to help someone, give of myself, or do the "right" thing. I always try to follow the inner voice that tells me to do something, even when I personally might lose something. To me, the spiritual path is all about each moment's decision -- it's one step at a time, where each correct step increases my connection to my higher self. It's all about whether I'm going to do what Spirit leads me to do or whether I'm going to do what my lower self really wants to do. I personally have never been burned by following this inner voice. However, if I would be, I hope that I'd be able to see it as something karmic, and try to use it in a positive way, or that I'd see it as a situation where I just don't see the entire picture.

One thing that I have to say is that there may be situations where we might be called to do something where we might be personally burned. It still will have been the right thing to do what we've been drawn to do, in my opinion.

I wish you luck in figuring it all out! :hug:

[Ariana Celeste]

2. I've had similar issues..

Sometimes I wonder... is it my "gut"? Or is it a conscious want?

I know though that every time I have trusted my gut intuition, things have worked out for me. Like for example... my move out here to Indiana. I was living in WA, and I was in a bad relationship- the guy, "A", wasn't abusive... but he neglected my needs. "A" had a tendency to completely ignore me unless he wanted something, "A" used my money for his own needs, and his family treated me like dirt. I could have just moved out and back to my mom's house- I was still 18- but after my current SO told me online that I was welcome to come stay with him (and maybe more)... something told me... I had to go. I had to fly out to Indiana and meet this man whom I'd known only casually online for a couple of years.

I did, and we've been together for over 2 years, and I couldn't be happier! I no longer need meds for depression, because nothing gets to me the way it used to. I'm treated like a woman should be treated, like a person should be treated, and I've learned how to compromise and not sweat the small stuff. And I have what I feel to be true love in my life. And it turned out for the best for "A", too. He learned that he needed to get a job, and be responsible for himself, and not take after his family. Anywho, everything about my life today feels "right", deep down. Except for my lack of spirituality (which I'm starting to work on again.)

That's just one example... out of many in life that turned out for the best. And I'm just a young thing, lol.

Anywho- congrats on feeling you've done right, and feeling good about it- it's a great feeling! I think we all have problems trusting our intuition- but I also think, that when it really matters, people will go with it. It becomes too strong to ignore! :)

I know it's late, but welcome to DU! :hi: :hug: