When you are told to trust your intuition, what exactly does that mean?
There’s a phrase I’ve (Shannon) said more times than I can count: “I should’ve gone with my gut.” And almost every time I don’t listen to it, I regret it. You’d think I’d learn by now, right?
The truth is that trusting your intuition isn’t always easy. It’s quiet. It doesn’t beg for attention. It nudges. There is a whisper. Sometimes it nags.
But once you learn to recognize that feeling—the one that lives just beneath the noise—it can guide you better than any pros/cons list ever could.
Trust Your Intuition
When people talk about intuition, it can sound a little vague or even woo-woo. But it’s not. It’s your instincts. Your inner knowing. The part of you that speaks before your brain starts overanalyzing everything.
Years ago, when Oprah had her weekday show, I recall her, like it was yesterday, talking about trusting your gut and how your body will tell you what is right.
During your podcast conversation with Christie Inge, she talked about the same when it comes to your human design.
For me, intuition, or going with my gut, often shows up as a physical feeling. A twist in my stomach, a subtle unease I can’t shake, or a little voice saying, “This isn’t it.”
And when I’ve ignored that feeling, when I’ve pushed forward because something looked good on paper or made sense to someone else, I’ve almost always paid the price. Mentally, emotionally, or even logistically.
Gerry always tells me, “Your gut is usually right.” And he’s correct. He’s watched me lean into it when making big decisions—leaving our business, changing our lifestyle, choosing who we work with—and he’s also seen the aftermath when I don’t.
What It Means to Go with Your Gut
Going with your gut isn’t reckless. It’s not about throwing logic out the window. It’s about listening to your inner compass before you hand the wheel to external expectations.
When something doesn’t feel aligned, it doesn’t mean it’s bad—it just might not be right for you.
That’s the part I’ve learned along the way. I have to lean into it. Just because a situation works for someone else or a collaboration looks good from the outside, doesn’t mean it sits well inside.
Intuition is personal. It’s built from your experience, values, and energy. That’s why no one else can really tell you what the “right” decision is—you already know. You just have to get quiet enough to hear it. You have to give yourself some credit.
It’s what happens when you trust your intuition.
How I Tell the Difference Between Instinct + Anxiety
This part has taken some work. Because anxiety also lives in the body, and it can feel loud. But I’ve learned that trusting my intuition means I usually feel steady, even when it’s telling me something I don’t want to hear.
It’s not panicked. It’s not rapid-fire. It is more of a gentle pull in one direction or a resistance that doesn’t go away, no matter how much I try to justify something.
If I have to convince myself too hard to say yes? It’s usually a no.
Do I feel relief after backing out of something? My gut knew.
If I can’t stop thinking about a decision even days later? That’s not me being “indecisive”—that’s my intuition asking to be heard.
Making Space to Hear It
When you trust your intuition, it starts with slowing down long enough to actually listen. When I rush, I miss it.
If I’m too plugged in, too distracted, or too focused on checking the next thing off the list, I override it.
These days, I try to build in space for those gut-check moments. I really want to hone in on those feelings. Whether it’s during a walk, while I’m journaling, or even sitting in the car before going into a meeting, I ask myself, Does this feel right?
Sometimes, the answer surprises me.
How to Start Trusting Your Intuition (Without Second-Guessing Yourself)
If you’re not used to tuning in, trusting your gut can feel impossible at first. It’s easy to doubt yourself or confuse instinct with anxiety, especially in a noisy world. Here’s how I’ve learned to reconnect with mine—and how you can start, too:
1. Start with small decisions
Don’t wait until you’re facing a significant life choice. Try it with everyday things—what to eat, how to spend your afternoon, who to text back. Notice what your initial response is before the overthinking kicks in.
2. Check in with your body
Where do you feel “yes” or “no”? For me, a clear yes feels open, calm, or even excited. A no feels like tension, sometimes in my chest or stomach. I can even start feeling resentment or negative feelings that begin to build. You’ll start recognizing your own signals the more you pay attention.
3. Practice pausing
Even just five seconds before reacting gives your intuition a chance to speak. If something feels rushed or panicky, take a beat. You’ll almost always get a more precise answer if you give it space. For someone like me who can be highly impulsive, I try to give my mind time to think things through, even for a beat.
4. Journaling helps—don’t overthink it
Try writing: “What do I already know about this?” You’d be surprised how much comes out when you just let it. You don’t need to analyze it—just get the noise out so the clarity can come through. Gerry calls it freewriting.
5. Notice patterns
Look back at past decisions. When did you listen to your gut, and did it work out? When did you ignore it and wish you hadn’t? That’s not failure—it’s data. It’ll help you trust it next time you are decision making. You can begin learning what happened the last time you did trust your intuition, or when you did not.
Why This Matters
Living intentionally means living from a place of truth. And truth doesn’t always come from logic or research or polling everyone you know. Sometimes, it’s quiet. Sometimes, it’s inconvenient. But it’s yours.
Trusting your intuition is one of the best ways to stay in alignment with your goals and with yourself. Being intuitive is something we all have in one form or another. It doesn’t make you different. It makes you human.
FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Like any muscle, intuition gets stronger the more you use it. When you start noticing the difference between instinct and overthinking—and act on that instinct—you begin building trust with yourself. The more you listen, the louder it gets.
That’s normal. Intuition isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being aligned. Sometimes you might make a decision that doesn’t turn out the way you hoped, but that doesn’t mean your instinct was wrong. Often, it leads you to a lesson you need, even if it’s not what you expected.
Never. It might feel quiet at first, but your intuition is always there. The good news is, you don’t have to “fix” anything—you just have to start listening again. Small steps, quiet moments, and checking in with yourself regularly can help you rebuild that trust.
