By: Lena Benjamin
One definition of the word intuition is: The faculty of knowing or understanding something without reasoning or proof.
The experiences you have garnered both personally and professionally will enable you. Your knowledge turned into action despite the doubts, coupled with your intuition is a force to be reckon with. The resulting factor of using your intuition or listening to your inner voice will enable and empower you to achieve your life's purpose.
"The only real valuable thing is intuition."- Albert Einstein (Theoretical Physicist)
As we get older and morph into adulthood, we sometimes stop listening to the voice that pushes us to take one last step, although if you are entrepreneurial by nature you always want to take one last step -- give it one more chance.
"The best way of learning how to do something is by doing." - Sir Richard Branson (Virgin Group, CEO)
A toddler will at first stumble and fall but through sheer resolution puts one foot after the other -- step-by-step, to finally walk.
Here are three ways to develop your intuition for life-changing results for you and our interconnected world.
1) Stillness and just be (quiet the mind)
In the 21st century where everyone is so switched on -- where busy-ness can sometimes supersede productivity -- the art of developing your intuition will become a much needed business skill.
Some managers to this day still believe that being busy and staying late for themselves and that of their staff means high-yielding efforts, but in fact the opposite is true. There is much to be said about being still.
When you truly connect to you and the stillness, there is an opportunity beyond your wildest dreams. Those dreams once you decide to take action can be life changing not only for you but for the world.
Think about it... would we really be able to fly on an airplane if not for the Wright brothers and their vision? There were probably many a time when they let the stillness enable their vision. The isolation they must have felt, due to others thinking and verbalizing their craziness for thinking humans could actually fly! Sometimes that stillness will enable and empower you to think beyond the limitations and the naysayers. Instead the stillness can turn the impossible into the possible.
The basic concept is once you take the time to contemplate and put those thoughts into action -- anything is possible. You plant with those seeds of inspiration and wait and then you start that process all over again until something sticks and you have your harvest. Stillness will take you from where you are now to where you are destined to be. Use the shower, use the walk to work, attend an event or use an exercise session to let your intuition flow.
2) Trust the inner voice
When you quieten the mind and those thoughts come to the surface you must believe in them and trust that what comes into your mind is right for you. There are no wrong answers when it comes to listening to your inner voice. You should not talk your way out of it.
"I feel there are two people inside me - me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get along quite nicely." - Kim Basinger (Actress)
Never a truer word, think about it... yes now, really think about it. When you have gone against that inner voice or in other words your gut, that intuitive voice -- whispering to you -- "Don't do that [fill in your name]." Or "Call X" or "Send that email." Remember when you kicked yourself for not following that inner voice. I remember a voice that said to me completely out of the blue ''ask your tenant to leave.'' I did not question that voice I just did it. I didn't ask what next or why, I just did it.
I understand from my 40 years on earth that if you don't trust that inner voice you will regret it in some way. This regret doesn't have to be drastic, it could be a quiet and unassuming opportunity that you missed because you did not follow your intuition and take action.
3) Be Aware, Pay Attention and Listen
There are no coincidences. Once you identify in that very concept you will understand that every day you are getting messages. That inner voice is constantly talking to you and if you gave it a moment of your time you would hear what she is saying to you. Those messages might be the voice in your head or it could be the people that you meet and the conversations that you have with them.
Rather than "hear" you really need to "listen" -- there is a difference. Hearing is when a sound penetrates the ear. Listening is different, it is paying attention to the words being spoken with the direct result of understanding the other person.
Listen, be aware that there are messages being spoken every day. There is a caveat though, avoid listening to the objectors and those who try to talk you out of your blessings. Or those who subtly try to undermine your efforts. The road to self-discovery and perseverance can be a lonely one but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel if you really pay attention and listen to your intuition.
"I think business practices would improve immeasurably if they were guided by 'feminine' principles--qualities like love and care and intuition."- Anita Roddick (Bodyshop founder)
Lena Benjamin is CEO of Ones Company Limited, she is a business and events consultant, online entrepreneur, teacher and coach. Lena is currently writing her first book and will be running a series of intuition development webinars from 11 June 2015. Follow Lena on Twitter @LenapBenjamin.