Perhaps the Person You Should Listen to the Most is YOU

?Trust your gut. That's what they say. But do we really do this as often as we should?

Our "gut" or unconscious instincts can and should be trusted much more than we give them credit. I like the idea of our gut as a cartoon character sitting on one shoulder while your rational self and desire to operate from what you can tangibly see, hear, and taste is a character on the other shoulder. Kind of like the angel and the devil visual from a 1980's cartoon (but I really don't want to demonize either one).

What's in the middle between your gut and rationalization and is your head, the brain mechanics that make the final decision as to which character to pay more attention to.

?When you've had a gut feeling, but didn't listen to it, you may have had a chance to look back and reflect on that moment in time when the energy just felt off. "I should have listened to my gut!," You may have said to yourself.

?When you have gone with your gut and circumstances unfolded, have you ever questioned your choice? Have you ever said to yourself, "I should have trusted my rationale!" Probably not often.?

Certainly there are situations that you need to side more with your logical mindset, concepts? such as cost effectiveness, time management and risk analysis (just to name a few).

?In my own reflection there are very few times that I regretted listening to my gut, and yet I still question it's validity.? When my gut sensed an unnerving impression, it was something I should have listened to.

?I am not preaching a sixth sense or mystical psychic abilities, but I am commentating on the possibility that our instinctual reasoning is valid, powerful and potentially a strong source of our ability to pick up on energy.

?Every person carries an energy around with them, every situation emanates an energy of safe vs unsafe. We have survived and grown as a species because we used instinct to quickly judge a situation and either move towards it or away from it.

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Our instincts were and are primal. It is only recently that we have developed the ability to reason our way through a situation. Rationalization is the minds desire to find facts, logic and external evidence to prove to ourselves that we should make a specific decision. Yet facts can be skewed, logic is often flawed and external evidence is solely based on your own perspective and not the ultimate reality.

?Since one of my favorite soapboxes to stand on is communication and I preach the importance of listening, asking smart questions and above all working on developing trust with others, it's about time we turn the tables and look at how we listen, question and build trust within ourselves.

There are countless times when my gut was right: the doctor with the horrible bedside manner, the co-worker that I overheard speaking very rudely to a client, the first ten minutes of a date that just feels "yucky". You name it, I've been there... And you have probably been there too.

?My encouragement to you is to think back on moments in your life that your gut spoke to you, loud and clear. What was the outcome? How often have you wished you had trusted yourself and your instincts? Take stock in your answers and reflections and give yourself more credit than you have in the past.

?Instincts are real. They are powerful and they can be a guiding force in your decision making process, as long as you listen to them and give them as much credit as your rational self. Your gut reacts, responds and reminds you that you are important 100% of the time. Like a loving mother that is only looking out for your best interests, listen to her. Listen to your gut.