The Power of Intuition - a magnificent tool

A few months ago I attended a very inspiring International Womens Workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark. I was thinking of entering this competition they arranged, which is quite unusual of me. In a split of a second I heard this voice inside of my head saying; "Come on you never win anything! Don't bother, why would you win? Imagine how many people enter the competition, you will not stand a chance!" Ever heard little voices like these stopping you from following your initial thought, and making you take a step back? I have.

I've said it many times, yet I can't emphasize it enough - please, please TRUST YOUR GUT FEELING! Your intuition is speaking to you all the time.

I simply disregarded the "doubter" and decided that I wanted to give it a go anyway. I set my goal and promised myself that if I was to enter the competition, I wanted to win. I made a mental picture of how I would feel having won - the picture I saw in front of me felt very vivid and real. I said a silent Thank You and continued working. Unfortunately I had to leave the workshop early, so I never saw the price ceremony. On Monday, upon my return there was a package on my table. I knew instantly what it was...YES!! I had won! I had won!!! Now, do you understand the power of your intuition?

The book I won is called What Happy Working Mothers Know written by Cathy L. Greenberg and Barrett S. Avigdor. The book couldn't have arrived at a better time. Being a mother to a lovely 3 year old boy and having a career at the same time has its challenges. It's an everyday puzzle to get the practicalities together, however, I feel privileged and grateful for every day.

What Happy Working Mothers Know is a book for any woman (or a man) who is keen to learn more about positive psychology that can lead to a healthy and happy working/life balance. But it is also a very practical book for anyone who's struggling with guilt, finding time for family, friends, exercise, you name it, at the same time as you pursue a career. Do not let the title mislead you...this book is for anyone who wants more happiness in life. 

Next time you hear voices that discourage you, please stop for a moment and reflect on it. What is your internal GPS trying to tell you? The more you listen and practice the easier you will recognize the guidance.

Have a great summer!

Harnessing intuition to achieve career goals

Have you ever wondered how come some people always seem to make the right business choices, right career decisions, and land the perfect job?

What do I mean?  

Intuition is a flash of sight or a gut feeling that guides our decisions, i.e., comprehension without effort of reasoning, simply instinctive knowledge. You could say that it is the state of being aware of or knowing something without having to discover or perceive this.

Unfortunately, we too often dismiss it simply as a "hunch" or a "dream" and therefore as untrustworthy. Don’t let your intellect block your instincts = Don’t talk yourself out of something you feel.   

Everything around us is Energy. All our thoughts are Energy!
The most precious gift we as humans possess is our intuition or life-force. When we start using this unimaginable potential - we can tap into a flow that is limitless and far beyond our imagination.  It can easily be taught, however, learning to trust our intuition can take several years even for experienced practitioners.

Judith Orloff MD, UCLA psychiatrist and author of Second Sight offers four tips for harnessing intuition to achieve career goals:

1. Obey body signals. When your stomach clenches up seemingly for no reason. Or you're anxiety level increases when asked to take on a new task or job. Your body is telling you something important. Listen to these subtle urges and hints.

2. Pay attention to dreams. Our dreams often tell us, usually in symbolic code, what's happening in our lives. Keep a notebook and pen by your bed so you can write down your dreams when you get up in the morning.

3. Coincidences can be meaningful. Sometimes life presents moments of clarity in the form of coincidences. These can be powerful teaching moments. For example, maybe you've been thinking about changing jobs when you suddenly bump into a friend you haven't seen for years, who tells you about a dream job that's opening up. Don't let such precious opportunities pass you by. Such synchronous events are signals that you are in the right place at the right time, or that you need to stop and pay close attention to what is in front of you.

4. Tune into intuitive empathy. This occurs when you "pick up a vibe" from another person. For no apparent reason, you suddenly feel hostility coming from a coworker, or you sense that your boss is hiding something. "This innate sense that we all have can be fine-tuned by becoming aware of it."

I strongly believe, that the more we listen to our internal guidance...the more we will build a relationship with our true power. You do not need to have a Ph.D or a University degree. We are all born with this gift, the question is:

* DO YOU LISTEN?

* DO YOU FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE?

* DO YOU TRUST IT?

To your career success!