Whenever we’re on the heels of making a decision, we’re usually swayed by our gut in one direction or another. Our guts have helped us with our school work (the dreaded multiple choice quizzes), navigating directions while behind the wheel, and even providing clarity in our relationships. It’s our gut feeling that guides us in and out of troubling scenarios like whether we should accept a job offer or stay in an environment that feels toxic. Or breaking through uncomfortable situations such as continuing a friendship that attracts negativity versus letting go to make room for others who make us feel good.
We rely on our deep-seated emotions to make many choices even when we don’t always get it right. We remain confident in our inner feelings because it’s our best navigation tool along life’s most winding roads. We can make endless pro-con lists detailing every valid reason to proceed down one pathway, but ultimately, our inner selves make the final call. That nagging sensation buried inside each of us decides which way we should go in an endless sea of outcomes. A passion that doesn’t always solicit us down the yellow brick road to our dreams but helps us blast through roadblocks on the way there.
What it means to trust your gut can be described in numerous ways, as it presents a different reaction for everyone. However, only you can articulate what these feelings mean in each situation you face. Below are some further explanations on trusting your gut that are more useful than any pro-con list can offer.
Trusting your gut means…
FOLLOWING YOUR INSTINCTS/INTUITION
Often, your gut feeling appears when you least expect it. It swoops with its metaphoric flashing lights to warn you when something may not be working and signals you to more suitable options. It elicits cues in the form of anxiety, fear, or doubt, telling you that something may be wrong. When these began to surface, you were always taught to follow your instincts or intuitions (thanks, Mom!) leading you to the answers you’re looking for.
When you follow your instincts, you listen to your inner voice—the hunch that subtly guides you through life’s biggest obstacles. It encourages a venture that makes sense to you rather than one that appears to work on paper. Suddenly, deciding whether to go on that second date or when to submit a down payment on the house you dreamed of doesn’t seem like an impossible choice but a trusted emotion.
PAYING MIND TO THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL SYMPTOMS
Oddly enough, the clammy hands, nausea, and tension that you often experience when trying to decipher your next move are usually signs that your gut is trying to tell you something. The symptoms that mimic anxiety that you try so often to suppress or ignore could be your body’s way of alerting you that something may not be right. Sometimes the metaphor “cold feet” that describes a sense of uncertainty before a big event is a red flag cautioning you to rethink the following steps.
Paying mind to the physical and mental symptoms that your body is experiencing is a form of trusting your gut, as it enables you to listen to what your body truly needs. By ignoring these sensations, you doubt your abilities and potentially miss better opportunities that await you.
TRUSTING THAT YOUR UNSETTLED FEELINGS MEAN SOMETHING
To trust your gut means to have confidence in yourself that you know what’s best. It’s trusting that your unsettled feelings mean something and are worth considering. There’s a reason that you feel bothered about a situation or layer of your life—an intensity that will only grow the more it is swept under the rug.
The problem could be you’ve outgrown your role in your company affecting your mood at work, or ongoing struggles with your significant other have you constantly feeling rattled about the relationship. Have faith that those symptoms are attempts to steer you away from the darkness into a more positive light. That a more fulfilling job opportunity or a healthier partnership is near, eliminating any fears or worries. Make a habit of trusting your gut because the answers have always been inside of you all along.
What do you think it means to trust your gut? How have you tuned into your intuition lately?
