Is it Intuition or Your Mind Playing Games?
Recently a client asked me a good question; how can I tell the difference between fear and my intuition.
I really feel this is a question we each need to answer for ourselves because we each experience our intuition and other feelings in our own unique ways. However, because I get this question A LOT, I thought I’d offer a few personal insights that might help you find your own answer to this question.
First, let’s define the kind of fear we are talking about here. It’s natural for all of us to feel fear. We can’t help it; fear is part of our human experience. With that said, fear originates for different reasons:
1. Instinctual fear: this is the fear that kicks into place when we’re alone at night walking to our car. It’s a good, healthy fear to have, it heightens our awareness and helps keep us safe. Once the “scaries” are over this fear subsides and then it’s gone.
2. Ego-based fear: this is the fear that tells us the story, over and over again, of what will happen or could happen if we ______________. (ex: take that leap of faith) This fear isn’t “in the moment” and often sounds like/feels like a broken record. It’s a loop that plays over and over again in our heads and very often increases in intensity as time goes by, unless we deal with it. This fear often has deep roots and could be a sign of a deeper fear or old wound.
For example: There was a time when I had a deep fear of annihilation. That’s right! I know, it sounds SO dramatic, doesn’t it? (Thank goodness it was short lived!) This fear really had me in its grips and I couldn’t shake it. The “loop” that was playing in my head had me believing that nothing good was going to happen and that I was doomed for failure! (I’m really fessing up here! Can you see how dramatic this is…I know you can relate!)
Finally, I worked with a very gifted healer to get to the root of this fear. What I discovered was this intense fear did have deep roots that could be traced back to my childhood. Once I saw and understood the “seed” of this fear I could heal it and release it! Guess what? No more fear of annihilation!
So, even though while I was experiencing this intense fear and believed it to be connected to my current life and business circumstances, it really wasn’t. Something in the present moment did trigger this fear and bring it to the surface, but in the end the fear I was feeling had nothing to do with the present moment, nor was it predicting what was to come. (In fact, once I released the fear I could see with clarity what was before me and make power-filled decisions that really served me.)
Now let’s talk intuitive guidance. When my intuition kicks into gear it gets my attention in very subtle ways. It never screams at me, rather it usually whispers. I get these “intuitive hits” in several ways. Sometimes I experience a deep “knowing” about something. Other times I hear a voice in my head. Sometimes I might have a dream that offers me guidance. Here’s the thing, the guidance NEVER overwhelms me. Even if the guidance is warning me against something it doesn’t necessarily scare me, it does cause me to increase my awareness and pay more attention.
Often my intuition speaks through my body. I have a “gut instinct or reaction” to something. My intuition will keep trying to get my attention until I take notice and I have experienced it as intense, especially if I haven’t been paying attention to the more subtle signs.
Each of us experiences fear and intuition in our own unique ways. As you read my personal examples some things might resonate because you’ve had similar experiences, but don’t think how I experience fear or intuition is how you will experience yours.
You can learn the difference between your fear and your intuition by paying close attention to how each shows up in your life. Over time you’ll increase your confidence about which is which.
(c) 2010 Cari Vollmer Life On Track, LLC
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