Intuitive thinking will help you to gain more control over your life, and align yourself with success… not least because it will allow you to develop the habit of responding rather than reacting!

The term ‘intuitive thinking’ should not be viewed as just another name for common sense, or confused with being ‘psychic’ (as it is commonly understood). If we are to develop our intuitive intelligence, so that we can use it as efficiently as we do our rational/logical intelligence, we have to begin with intuitive thinking. And it is important to step away from the idea that only certain individuals are ‘gifted’ with a sixth sense because it is likely to lead to one of two conclusions: 1) those who aren’t gifted with a sixth sense have been denied access to it by some selective higher power who has favoured those who have; 2) it is all a load of rubbish, and no-one has any intuitive capacity at all!

Intuitive thinking is about feeling our way around and through a situation, rather than taking it at face value or coming to a knee-jerk conclusion. It is also about recognising things that are trying to explain themselves to us, rather than ignoring them or fighting against them.

For example, if we find ourselves attracted to someone, and they appear to be reciprocating, our imagination and our desire can lead us to believe all kinds of exciting and wonderful things are possible – we might even begin to create a fantasy that very cleverly and quickly convinces us that it is real! But where does our intuitive thinking take us? Putting aside our desires, whilst being willing to take a little time, what are we actually feeling and seeing? What do we feel about this person, and this situation, deep down inside (as you can gather, intuitive and ‘feeling’ go very much hand in hand!)? 

Or our partner is being moody and difficult for no apparent reason, and they have really hurt our feelings… and have made us feel as mad as hell, too! We fantasize about packing a bag and freeing ourselves of them once and for all, or of them waking up and recognising the error of their ways, sincerely expressing a heartfelt apology… neither of which happens. We can, as days pass, come to terms with the situation as it appears to us, and grudgingly accept it; in many cases that may well be the best we can hope to do. But what if our intuitive thinking leads us to understand that something deeper is at play here? This exact situation occurred in my own life recently, and because I was ill with a nasty flu bug, I didn’t have any mental/emotional energy to spare, and I reacted. He was being unreasonable, and I brooded inwardly, feeling frustrated and resentful.

But, gradually, I began to feel a little better… and I also ‘felt’ something else: that my partner was struggling in his own way, with something he wasn’t expressing. I opened my mind to it and recognised that he was probably feeling stuck in life, trapped in the same routine. I waited until I felt that he might be open to talking, and quietly asked if he was feeling that way; he agreed that yes, he was, and not only that, he felt unhappy with his weight, and that he had few clothes that fit him… and that he wasn’t sure what to do about his motorbike (it requires a small number of repairs, which can be done); due to the foot injury he sustained some time ago, he wasn’t even sure he would still be able to ride it. I don’t believe that he himself had been aware that all of this was piling up on him, and even if he did, he wouldn’t have believed he could do anything about it. 

I suggested that we charge up the bike battery, put some fuel in, and that he give it a little test ride; that way he will get an idea of whether or not he is likely to be able to handle it. I also put him, and me, on an immediate diet, as we both need to lose at least a stone! I know that he is technically capable of counting his own calories, but this is definitely my territory, and I know that he will cut corners or under-estimate how much he can and can’t eat, if left to his own devices! And when the stone has been lost, he can buy some new trousers and shirts. I understand how the bike and his weight are linked, because he used to be able to fit into his leathers before he injured his foot, and now it all seems light years away. And of course, to a biker, actually being able to ride represents freedom!

Anyone who works with other human beings in an emotional capacity needs to be able to think intuitively; anyone who wants to be able to manoeuvre their way successfully through life needs to sharpen up their capacity for intuitive thinking; anyone who wants to cut through the endless tide of information that pours out of our screens, every second of every day, will need to be able to read between the lines. It isn’t about trusting or distrusting; it is about a knowingness that comes through feeling. 

And it is absolutely possible to develop intuitive thinking, and to learn how to distinguish it from feelings of fear or desire… especially as we become older! I say that because the younger we are the easier it is for our emotions to run the show. However, regardless of adult age, every one of us has access to intuitive capacity, and the ability to ‘read’ other human beings to one degree or another. Imagine how much better life would be if we were all more intuitively aligned? Unfortunately, intuition has an undeservedly bad reputation in the modern world, often presented as something spooky, mystical and ridiculous, or dismissed by those who consider themselves too ‘scientifically minded’ to believe in such rubbish!

I am going to write more on the subject of intuitive thinking over the next couple of weeks, leading into ways in which we can further develop our general intuitive capacity (we all use this without actually giving it much consideration: on Monday of this week, around 10 am, I texted the girl who does my hair, asking for an appointment; at 8.30 pm that evening, as I was putting something into the boot of the car, I suddenly remembered that she hadn’t replied. I hadn’t even finished the thought when my phone pinged to announce that a text had arrived… and I knew, without looking at it, that it was from Helen… which it was!).  So, if you are interested in hearing more, don’t forget to check in!