Intuition is not logical. It is not the result of considered steps that are easily explained or shared; instead, it is a deep knowing that feels instinctive and natural.
It could be having a ‘feeling’ something terrible will happen or feeling ‘lucky’. You can recognise it as an instinct to walk in a particular direction even though you’ve never been to that place before. You might feel this ‘knowing’ in your body – it could be your stomach, heart, throat or even your elbow – everyone is unique.
But what is it?! Researchers don’t know as they can’t see it in the brain!
Recent research suggests that intuition holds key benefits when we make decisions, giving us confidence, efficiency and more accuracy in our choices.
Intuition is like a muscle; the more you use it, the more reliable it gets. It’s important to note that our intuition is not always accurate; for the rational thinkers amongst us, essentially, the subconscious brain is attempting to recognise patterns of thinking and prior experiences to create an educated guess.
How does inner voice work benefit me as an entrepreneur?
Many of the world’s most influential business people admit to making decisions based on intuition rather than deliberate thinking. A study by Midique in 2014 sampled 36 CEOs, and 85% confirmed that intuition was central to their decision-making. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings shared in a Ted Talk Interview that his leadership at Netflix and its success has had a lot to do with his strong sense of intuition when making decisions about shows. Known in the C-Suite at Netflix as “the golden gut”,; he states that data science “simply isn’t sophisticated enough to predict whether a new idea will be a hit”.
How can I strengthen my Intuition?
One way you can strengthen your Intuition is to make space to listen. Incorporating quiet time or meditation practice, even five or ten minutes daily, can make all the difference. Many people, unfamiliar with meditation, think of it as sitting in lotus cross-legged on the floor, thumb and forefinger pressed together whilst “ohmming” under your breath. Although traditional meditation can take this format, it can merely mean being more mindful and incorporating moments of stillness into your day, such as washing dishes. Have you ever wondered why the best ideas come to you when you’re in the shower or lying on a sun lounger on holiday – that’s because your mind is finally quiet, and you can hear your inner voice!
Another way to take note of your intuition is through your emotions. Let’s say a friend tells you about their recent promotion at work; instead of feeling happy for them, you feel a sense of resentment, but you can’t understand why. Rather than ignore this feeling or feel guilty for feeling this way, turn detective to try and understand what it’s trying to tell you. You can even have a conversation with your Intuition to discover more, and I can help guide a session for you so that you can do this with yourself in the future.
Journaling your thoughts and insights, as well as your emotions and any tension in the body you may be experiencing, can help significantly with fine-tuning your Intuition.
As a coach, I support my clients by listening to their intuition and make decisions based on their unique Human Design. You can learn more about the ways I work with clients here.
Samantha is an intuitive healer and visionary who holds space for heart-centric souls to discover their strengths, find their true purpose and take bold steps towards living a life aligned with their core values and soul purpose. Through a fusion of psychology, spirituality, Human Design, Reiki Energy Healing, and two decades of business experience, Samantha has supported hundreds of people to find their purpose, live life with more flow, and build thriving businesses.
She is is a registered practitioner with UK Reiki Federation and CMA.
As a though-leader, her work has been featured in numerous publications and television appearances on BBC and Channel 5 News.
