Are you listening to your intuition or your ego?
Here’s two ways you can know.
Do you have a big decision looming on the horizon? Maybe you’re wondering if it’s better to listen to the facts, or your intuition? Some people have very evolved intuitions, but how do we know if our intuition is aligned with reality and is not our ego passing judgment?
This got me thinking about if better decisions happen relying on the just the facts and analysis or sticking with your intuition? I am reminded about a concept in nursing that teaches the “Ways of Knowing.” It encourages people to move beyond relying solely on critical thinking and the facts, and trying to experience the patient’s frailty while knowing their self, the ethics and weaving in the art via a-ha moments. This may be the reason we often hear clinicians say there’s art and science to medicine.
Personally, I believe in trusting my intuition. Not to get too crazy on you guys, but according to an evolutionary biologist we have brains in every single cell that we should tap into, not just the brain we have in our head.
Given that we have several ways of knowing, I would tell you that many of my best moves have been very intuitive decisions. People would ask me after the fact how I knew to make that decision, and I can’t point to one situation or circumstance, but I moved in a state of feeling like I was “in flow” or that my Deja vu served as affirmation that I was on the right track.
Two ways to tell if you’re using intuition or ego
What I can share with you today is how to recognize pure intuition, and how it’s different from the point it meets the ego and turns to judgment.
1. Watch out for motive. First, we can be assured that we’re in ego when motive emerges. To move out of ego and back into intuition, it takes fluid awareness moment to moment to do what feels appropriate while being centered into our ‘high self.’ Our ‘high selves’ are focused on the facts, accountability, reflecting on what we can do to help, and are focused on what abundant outcomes for the greater good would look like. When you are in low self, you are venting, seeing yourself as the victim and see no options for impact.
2. Notice your comfort zones. A second way intuition arises is through a counterintuitive nudge. If often nudges me to do what I love, even when it feels fearful or not in line with how most people would do it. The fear arises because the ego is enflamed, working to keep you in your comfort zone or to justify your current position. Intuition usually can’t be rationalized and it can’t be justified. If you’re really in intuition you’re also able to move at odds with the world and in tune with the world at the same time.
Two of my favorite authors have some great insight. Maya Angelou says, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Another favorite quote comes from Cheryl Strayed, author of several best-selling novels, when she exited one of her relationships. “Next time I will love with all my intelligence.” These are great examples to which I believe intuition calls us out of ego, which has limited intelligence, to really love and move through the world with all of our modes of intelligence and remain trusting of our highest self.
What to do next
Listening to your intuition and validating it against reality means you’re pursuing many good disciplines to open up your “other ways of knowing.” Just be sure to use it not as that direction but as a wonderful data point. You often can distinguish intuition because it doesn’t give urgent commands. It often keeps coming back to you after first starting as a whisper and it gets louder and louder. The good news is that if you ignore your intuition, the universe is kind and it will just give you more and more data that activates the senses to call you awake. If you find that you’re beating yourself up about ignoring your intuition, stop judging and start loving yourself by knowing there’s just really no way to screw it up. Intuition is fine with patience, and will patiently return when it finds you open to it.
