Your Gut Doesn't Lie Trust your intuition
Many years ago, I dabbled in Foreign Currency Trading. My mentors were always quick to remind me not to get emotional about it. Just follow the numbers. One of the best phrases I heard during this time was “when in doubt stay out” The doubt they speak of is otherwise known as intuition or gut. We all have it. It’s that little voice that tells us that something isn’t quite right, whether it be a business deal, a relationship or that “creepy” person who just got on the elevator with us. We often can recount a feeling that something wasn’t quite right, or a person seemed untrustworthy, yet we don’t always listen to it and that’s when we get burned. It’s kind of like an “I could have had a V-8” moment when it happens. I have definitely talked myself out of that gut feeling before and it’s always come back to bite me.
So how do you know when that little voice is telling the truth? Here’s the answer. ALWAYS!! Because that voice is incapable of lying.
Here are 3 tips for tuning into what your gut is saying:
Focus. We each react a bit differently when our gut is speaking to us. Think back to a time when you made a mistake about something or someone. What were you saying to yourself before the situation happened? Was it “I am not sure I believe this person” or “I am not so sure about signing up for this program or buying this product”?
Pause. Take a deep breath and put some time and distance between yourself and the situation, person, opportunity, etc. If someone is trying to rush you into something and there is doubt, wait.
Listen. If you find yourself overriding the feeling or the voice in your head- stop what you’re doing and figure out where that’s coming from. Sometimes we are trying to “will” a situation to work out for us. If your gut says no, listen. You’ll be glad you did