April, with its unfolding of petals and young sprouts so vegetative growth may take place, always reminds me of a similar process in us humans: the unfolding of wise inner direction through intuition for our personal growth to take place.

When we can utilize our intuition, we receive corrective guidance enabling decision-making without regrets. Regret carries unfathomable emotional and energetic weight, and forms mostly due to three reasons: a decision is made hastily, the opposite option is not considered, or the intuitive messages are ignored.

But what exactly is intuition? There are a variety of definitions, perceptions, and angles by which intuition has been understood and handled. Here, I am offering a description based on my observations and experience of this innate gift we carry. Intuition is that gut feeling we get but easily ignore. In general, people either don’t know they carry intuition, or they don’t know how to read it. Some who can read it don’t trust it, while others who trust it fail to follow it.

Time and again intuition arrives as a whisper and a vibration in the body since it is generated in the body and not the mind. It unfolds when we least expect it, and it stands the best chance of being heard when there is inner stillness and quietude. It is a knowing beyond understanding because it is not created through logic. All we have to do is know that we carry it and put the question out — especially when a major decision needs to be made. We must be patient and open to receiving the answer from this inner astute place inside of us.

Staying aligned with our intuition, we receive constant and accurate direction which intensifies our senses and expands our perceptions. This heightened awareness invites the kind of decision-making which leads to where we need to go at the time, which is not necessarily where we want to go. This critical distinction between needing and wanting is what will save us from regretting the outcome later. So, with a significant benefit like this, what are some reasons we fail to hear, trust, or follow our intuition?

Given that intuitive answers, following questions we ask ourselves, seem to appear out of nowhere, our mind becomes suspicious and has a hard time accepting these directions if they have not first been calculated, analyzed, and logically understood. The mind operates in a linear fashion. It is busy and loud, and on a mission to always churn out thoughts that make sense. Intuitive messages may appear as not making much sense, partly because these messages might point towards taking actions outside our ordinary routine and habitual patterns. So, the mind negates and throws them out, replacing them with its own usual rational thoughts of certainty and convenience.

Don’t get me wrong – we must honor and value the gifts of clear thinking. However, during serious decision- making that will affect the rest of our lives, I believe the mind’s role becomes most useful in following rather than preceding intuitive revelations. In these circumstances, the mind’s role should be to figure out ways of putting into action intuition’s accurate guidance.

Our level of self-confidence determines whether we will trust the messages coming from inside of us. Low self- confidence prevents us from trusting our intuition since we do not believe or trust enough in ourselves. Change, by definition, carries unpredictability. Subsequently, fear of unpredictability will discourage us from making changes. We all carry this fear to a certain extent. But if our fear of unpredictability is too great, it will smother intuition’s call to make corrective changes in our lives.

Differentiating between mind and intuition, elevating our self-trust, and working through paralyzing fears of unpredictability are examples of how we can remove blocks to receiving the unfolding intuitive messages. Beginning to hear, trust and respond to these messages with action can create a life where the heavy load of regret – which often brings sadness, disappointment, and depression — is lifted.

Let the unfolding flowers of April inspire the inner unfolding of our inherent gift of intuition.

Good Journeying
yolanda koumidou

PS: Those interested in learning more about removing the obstacles blocking intuition may consider taking my self- study course on The Role of Intuition in Psychotherapy, which can be found here.