A few years ago, a strange incident happened to me when I was living in beautiful San Diego. I had my adorable 4-year-old, Skylar in tow and I was pregnant with my second child. We were going shopping for bedding for Sky's new "big girl" bed. At the local linen store, Sky was squeezing my hand in delight as we fussed over all the options. It was then that I felt someone watching us. I could feel it in my gut. From the corner of my eye, I spotted a couple paying very close attention to us. That little voice inside me whispered, “Something's not right.”
I continued shopping, still keeping a smile on my face, but now I had an eye and a tentacle on my little one. All of a sudden and very abruptly, the woman I had been watching asked me how far along I was in my pregnancy. It was more of a bark than a polite inquiry and all the while she was still on her phone. My instincts flared up. Fight or flight. (WTF..I think to myself). Trying not to jump to any conclusions, I flippantly remarked, “Oh, it’s my second pregnancy. Who keeps track?"
Something inside me told me her question was not authentic. But my logical mind, the one that wants me to be polite, is telling me, “It’s broad daylight - in a store - filled with people.
This is not some dark alley in a scary part of town.” Still, I tell my daughter that we are going to leave and look somewhere else for her bedding. I held her tightly in my arms, squeezing her with love and appreciation as I sprinted toward the door.
At my truck, I took a deep breath and scolded my imagination for reciting the plot for a bad after-school special in my head. I buckled Sky in and turned on some tunes to change the energy. Suddenly, as I pulled out of my parking spot, a car sped toward us flashing its lights. I slowed down and they pulled up to next to me on the driver’s side. I saw three people in the car; two males in the front and a pregnant female in the back dressed similarly to the woman in the store.
The driver of the car tells me that the front of my truck is smashed and that he can fix it for me. Well, maybe my instincts had been primed inside the store, but my spidey senses were on high alert. The man then tells me to get out of the car and look at the dent with him. This was the moment for which I am still very grateful. I did not react or try to please the man.
Instead, I listened to that voice inside my head, that superpower I like to call it, and I did not do what he wanted me to. In fact, the little voice inside me was screaming to get out of there. I didn’t care if my truck was smashed. It felt like the least of my worries at that moment. When I did not respond to his offer to fix the truck for me, the man became very upset, almost demanding that I get out of the car to look at it. I simply rolled up my window and drove away.
Now, there are a few of you reading this who might think I was overreacting, that maybe I was making assumptions about the individuals, but there is more. (There always is.) Once I was away and out on the street, I stopped at a light. I told Sky that, “I’m just gonna run out and see what the heck happened to our truck.”
There was nothing wrong with my truck. Nothing at all. I turned around to get back into the vehicle when ANOTHER car speeds toward me. This time, two undercover cops flashing their badges jump out and sprint straight at me. Each one blurts out questions about the car in the parking lot. I tell them the story, they look at each other and dart back to their car yelling, “That’s them! That’s them!”
Chills ran up and down my body followed by tears on my face. I turned and looked at my beautiful safe baby in the back seat. I’m still not exactly sure what their master plan was, but I am so grateful that I trusted both my instincts and my intuition in those moments, both in the store and the parking lot.
Take a moment to watch my video here about How to Use Your Intuition with Zen Master T. I share tips as well as my experiences in a short video. (Just in case your get tired of reading 🙂
As you can see, instinct and intuition have always been a big part of my life. It's a very important subject for me and I'm always looking for ways to hone this power.
First I wanted to get down the basics, I know we have both instincts and intuition, but what’s the difference?
Instincts are primal. They’re what kept our caveman ancestors alive (It’s that feeling I get when my kid decides to do a cartwheel in the kitchen and I get this alarming feeling in my stomach to move my glass of wine before she knocks it over ). We gotta do, what we gotta do to survive the week!
Now, intuition is different in that it comes to us through our senses; it’s what we hear, touch, and see. You know that hinky feeling you get when you shake someone’s hand and you’re instantly creeped out? That’s your intuition talking to you. The thing about your intuition is that it tends to be a quiet whisper. It doesn’t yell or clamor for your attention like my daughter is doing at this very moment. You have to take a moment and really listen.
It doesn’t help that the foods we eat and the drinks we drink affect our intuition either. When you’ve had a big meal and a glass or three of wine, your intuition is going to be as sleepy as you are. Keep that in mind before you tackle these next steps.
...and your phone, computer, and stop thinking of your to do list that’s a mile long. Focus on the moment and try to find that little voice that’s being drowned out. In this quiet time ask yourself questions, and listen!
There’s something relaxing about the warm water that helps you push your problems away so that you can hear that little voice inside you.
I love these teas. They make teas specific for your psychic superpower. Click on the picture or click here to get your own.
Stepping away from the situation and reestablishing your connection to nature can be tremendously helpful when trying to hear your intuition.
Taking a few minutes to meditate can be really helpful so complete your favorite one or we can even do one together here .
It’s easy to say this, but can be harder to do. Instead of overthinking things or wallowing in self-doubt, embrace what your gut is telling you. You might be surprised by the results!
We all share this super power. It's that voice that guides you. Make time for it. Practice making it stronger. Some of the most successful people on the planet swear by it. Oprah Winfrey once said, "I've trusted the still, small voice of intuition my entire life."
You are in good company.
