Am I trusting my intuition… or making a HUGE mistake? It’s a question that had been gnawing at me for some time.
It was over fifteen years ago, and I was a couple of years out of college, running a successful web business. I’d moved into a great apartment in Manhattan, my very own bachelor pad, and had been offered a spot in a prime office in midtown Manhattan.
Things were going really well. Or were they? The business was doing really well and clients loved my work. Deep down, though, I felt unsettled. I wasn’t sleeping well. My health and relationships were suffering. I spent my days, nights, and weekends doing work I enjoyed, yet felt like something wasn’t right.
“It” – this success I was having – was supposed to feel great. But it didn’t.
As weeks turned into months, things only got worse…
I finally admitted to myself that my success hadn’t resulted from following my intuition. Instead, I had stumbled into opportunities and took them without really asking myself if it was something I wanted to do, or if I was really following my soul’s calling. I won’t lie. That “aha!” moment was tough. It meant that I had to make big changes – changes that would be risky, maybe even stupid. Finally, though, enough was enough.
One day, I just walked away from my prime office space (on Park Avenue in Manhattan), as well as my largest (and most toxic) client, and into the unknown. It was liberating, but only briefly. Mostly, I was terrified. My whole life seemed to be falling apart.
Worst of all, part of me felt like I couldn’t trust myself. If I had gone down this wrong path before, how did I know that I was making the right decision now?
On that deeper level, I didn’t want to admit that my life was out of alignment with my intuition and heart.
Instead of listening, I’d tried to pretend that my outer success was proof of my inner truth. A lot has happened between the time that choice to walk away was made and where I am today – a longer story for another day. But fast-forward fifteen years, my life looks very different. I’m more successful than ever, but this time around, my success is the actual result of listening to my intuition.
I now spend my days doing work that changes people’s lives. It feels incredible, and the fulfillment I have is reflected throughout my entire life. Looking back on those early years, I can clearly see the signs telling me that my early success was out of sync with my intuition. Given how many of us face this issue at different times in our lives, I wanted to share those telling signs.
Here they are:
1. Your gut is screaming at you
I can no longer count the number of people I’ve worked with over the past 15 years who’ve experienced persistent clenching and/or discomfort in their gut.
All those years ago, I, too, was walking around with a clenched gut. I can see now that it was my intuition screaming at me.
Tapping Tip: Tap through the points while asking yourself repeatedly, what is my gut trying to “tell” me?
(If you’re new to EFT Tapping, learn the process here.)
2. You pretend that everything’s great
We all know how this one goes. A friend asks how you’re doing, and you do your best fake-happy. “Things are GREAT,” you begin hesitantly. “My business is taking off. It’s a lot of work, but SO worth it,” you add, gulping down anxiety as your stomach clenches… again.
Tapping Tip: Tap through the points while asking yourself, how do I REALLY feel about my life right now?
3. Your sleep and health are suffering, but you’re not motivated to make a change
The longer I ignored my intuition, the worse my health got. I was losing sleep, gaining weight, and leaking energy. I felt awful, but also unmotivated to make the lifestyle changes I knew I needed to make.
Once I began listening to my intuition, I was finally willing to make those changes. My health and wellness then improved gradually over time.
Tapping Tip: Focus on one area of your lifestyle that you know you need to change. As an example, let’s say you know you need to go to bed earlier, but rarely do. Tap through the points while asking yourself, why am I resisting going to bed earlier?
4. Your life feels wildly imbalanced
If one part of your life is consistently taking off while the rest constantly seems to be imploding, there’s a good chance that your life is out of alignment with your intuition.
Tapping Tip: Tap through the points while asking yourself, what would my most successful life FEEL like? Notice any negative emotions and limiting beliefs that arise, and tap through them.
5. Your “in” crowd makes you feel like the odd (wo)man out
If you’re surrounded by people whose values don’t align with who you are, you’ll inevitably feel like the oddball.
Often, instead of listening to our intuition, we’re hanging out with the wrong crowd, we try to adapt by changing our behavior, appearance, and more. That then multiplies our dissatisfaction.
Tapping Tip: Focus on a group or person you often spend time with and tap through the points while asking yourself, how do I really feel when I’m with this group/person?
As you notice how you’re interacting with your intuition, remember to be gentle with yourself. I can say from experience that it can be really hard to notice toxic parts of your life when you’re immersed in them every day.
While making sudden, drastic changes isn’t always possible or even wise, by using Tapping, you can gain clarity and begin moving your life into closer alignment with what your intuition really IS telling you.
Until next time…
Keep Tapping!
Nick
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