Print Article"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.. What youīll discover will be yourself." Alan Alda
I am often asked how I know the things I know. For most of my life, I would come up with explanations to validate how I came to understand certain things whether it be with parenting or for my own personal experiences. I would often be challenged because I didnīt necessarily have a credible source for my knowledge. Growing up in a left brained world has always been a challenge for me because it has caused me to question much of who I am and what I know. Unfortunately, there isnīt a text book for explaining what intuition is or how it shows up for each individual person, it just is and its high time we step into our truest self and trust the built in mechanism we each have that can lead to our greatest source of guidance in this experience we call life.
So how have I come to trust what I know and how can you develop the inner knowing for yourself?
My greatest confidence for trusting my intuition has been in the upbringing of my children. In fact, I recently signed a contract with a publisher for a book I am co-authoring titled Raising Intuitive Children. Where does my knowledge for this information come from? You guessed it, my intuition, but would you believe I am still required to back up some of what I know with credible resources! You can imagine the irony . The good news is as I apply these intuitive nudges with how I parent my children; the evidence of what I receive reveals itself.
Each of my children has a different intuitive style for how they interact with the world around them. I have largely taken my cues for how to parent each of them based on what I know about their personalities and style; and what I intuit their needs to be. I also see much of my own internal knowing reflected back at me through the way my children behave, react to things, and express their emotions. While taking a class for my parent coach certification, I learned a great deal about the buttons our children push as a result of our own parenting inheritance. It was a great education; because I began to see myself in the actions of my children and would come to learn that each button was an internal intuitive nudge either to change a particular parenting habit or strengthen a characteristic I may not have been aware was one of my own to develop.
An example most parents may see in their child is the reflection of determination or confidence. As parents in todayīs world, we are often discouraged to use our natural abilities because we are surrounded by people, experts, books and media which tell us we need what they are offering; what better way to strip one of their confidence? The truth is, our children are really the only text book we need and our internal nudges are the guide to reading it. It sounds simple, but in most cases it is. In a previous article, I wrote how our childrenīs characteristics are the mirror reflection of the work we need to do in our own personal lives or the evolution of a dream or idea we once had for ourselves. The same is true for the development of our intuition. Would God simply have put us here and handed us his most precious gift, without a handbook, if he hadnīt perfectly installed a mechanism within each one of us that would act as our own personal compass for raising our children? God is perfect and the creation of each one of us is perfect, so guess what? He did leave us with a handbook only it didnīt come in the form of a booklet, but rather a voice or gentle nudge from within.
How many times have you had a feeling about a person or situation and rationalized all of the reasons you were wrong to think that way?
How many times have you wished you trusted your initial gut reaction to something?
We have all at one time or another wished we had trusted what that feeling was telling us. So how can you begin to recognize and trust your first instinct whether itīs with your child or any other situation you find yourself in? For me it began with a feeling about certain things. When my oldest son (who is now 11) was little, I felt very strongly about eliminating any foods with preservatives, dyes, hormones or antibiotics, or artificial ingredients (including sodas) from our diet. I couldnīt really say what made me feel so strongly in opposition of these items, but something inside encouraged me to make these changes and so I did. Today we are aware that most of these things impact the health, weight or behavior of our children. I had similar feelings about vaccinations, antibiotics for treating ailments such as ear infections or colds, and the impact of video games or other pop culture media on the minds of children. Believe me when I tell you to stand in a doctorīs office and decline a vaccination is difficult, because they will attempt everything to convince you why they know whatīs best, but in the end I stuck with my gut feeling. Since that time there have been several cases of autism linked to certain vaccinations and although a majority of the medical community and the pharmaceutical companies will do their best to discredit these findings, our intuition says otherwise. Today I have found a holistic doctor (who came from a traditional medical background) who strongly opposes vaccinations and treats ailments using homeopathic methods. Now this is not to say I havenīt vaccinated my kids for certain things and that I wonīt do so in the future; I will however, pay attention to what my gut tells me with regard to each individual choice I make.
Here are some of the ways your intuition may appear for you (these arenīt all of the ways it may appear, but a few I have observed based on a personīs style for receiving information):
A feeling in your body. It may come from your gut or somewhere else in your body. You may just have an icky feeling or a really good feeling about something and not understand why. (A perfect example would be a person who decides not to get into an elevator with someone because a feeling shows up and doesnīt feel really good.)
An inner voice. Some people actually hear a voice that speaks to them and may or may not sound like their own. Tune in and pay attention to what it says. If the advice is safe and would benefit you in the situation it is most likely coming from a higher source. If it ever advices you to do something that would harm yourself or anyone else, it is most likely not your higher self.
A vision or dream. Some people are visual and may actually see an outcome for a situation they are uncertain about. Look for other visual clues which may align with something you already became aware of.
A feeling outside of your body. You may experience a tingly sensation that comes out of nowhere and may feel really warm or may cause goose bumps. This is often the presence of a guide, angel or your higher self reassuring you your decision or feeling is an accurate one.
Some of the techniques I have used to sharpen both my own intuition and that of my childrenīs may seem silly to some, but I have found many of these practices to be extremely useful in trusting the initial gut reaction to something. For example, I have been watching House Hunters on HGTV for over 10 years. Now itīs not unusual for anyone who watches the show to guess which house a couple will choose to buy out of the three choices they are offered. The twist for me however, is to guess which house they will choose before the show begins. Based on the immediate hit I receive about a house, I have been 98% accurate in guessing the one they will choose. In a similar fashion, I quiz my son about who sings certain songs on the radio purely for the purpose of teaching him to tune into the sound of a voice. I am aware his intuitive strength is the use of his clairaudient ability so by training him to listen to the sound of a personīs voice he strengthens his acute sense of hearing. I also trust what my children say about things they otherwise wouldnīt know. For my sonīs 7th birthday, we gave him a baby iguana as his gift. Shortly after, we had to leave town for a family emergency and while we were away he said- "my iguanaīs dead." At first I reassured him his iguana was just fine, but when we returned, sure enough his pet was gone. From that point on I never questioned another statement he or any of my children made about something. It simply was his inner voice telling him something factual and as parents we often question what our children say, but who better to take our cures from but a child who hasnīt been taught to mistrust the advice they are given?
So in the end, the simple advice is this- trust yourself. Trust the voice inside that is waiting to be activated by you, and the answers to all of your questions will be answered for the highest good of all involved. Initially it may not be easy. You will want to revert back to the support of outside sources to confirm what you know and if you remain aware of the intention someone has when they offer you their advice, you will begin to either see people showing up to support you in finding your intuition or people will show up to challenge your faith in yourself. Either way, the real expert is you and the only person who can guide you to making the right decisions for you in your life is, you guessed it- YOU!
© 2008 by Tara Paterson, ACPI CCPI, All Rights Reserved
Co-author Raising Intuitive Children (New Page Books, spring ī09)
www.parentingintuitives.com
I am often asked how I know the things I know. For most of my life, I would come up with explanations to validate how I came to understand certain things whether it be with parenting or for my own personal experiences. I would often be challenged because I didnīt necessarily have a credible source for my knowledge. Growing up in a left brained world has always been a challenge for me because it has caused me to question much of who I am and what I know. Unfortunately, there isnīt a text book for explaining what intuition is or how it shows up for each individual person, it just is and its high time we step into our truest self and trust the built in mechanism we each have that can lead to our greatest source of guidance in this experience we call life.
So how have I come to trust what I know and how can you develop the inner knowing for yourself?
My greatest confidence for trusting my intuition has been in the upbringing of my children. In fact, I recently signed a contract with a publisher for a book I am co-authoring titled Raising Intuitive Children. Where does my knowledge for this information come from? You guessed it, my intuition, but would you believe I am still required to back up some of what I know with credible resources! You can imagine the irony . The good news is as I apply these intuitive nudges with how I parent my children; the evidence of what I receive reveals itself.
Each of my children has a different intuitive style for how they interact with the world around them. I have largely taken my cues for how to parent each of them based on what I know about their personalities and style; and what I intuit their needs to be. I also see much of my own internal knowing reflected back at me through the way my children behave, react to things, and express their emotions. While taking a class for my parent coach certification, I learned a great deal about the buttons our children push as a result of our own parenting inheritance. It was a great education; because I began to see myself in the actions of my children and would come to learn that each button was an internal intuitive nudge either to change a particular parenting habit or strengthen a characteristic I may not have been aware was one of my own to develop.
An example most parents may see in their child is the reflection of determination or confidence. As parents in todayīs world, we are often discouraged to use our natural abilities because we are surrounded by people, experts, books and media which tell us we need what they are offering; what better way to strip one of their confidence? The truth is, our children are really the only text book we need and our internal nudges are the guide to reading it. It sounds simple, but in most cases it is. In a previous article, I wrote how our childrenīs characteristics are the mirror reflection of the work we need to do in our own personal lives or the evolution of a dream or idea we once had for ourselves. The same is true for the development of our intuition. Would God simply have put us here and handed us his most precious gift, without a handbook, if he hadnīt perfectly installed a mechanism within each one of us that would act as our own personal compass for raising our children? God is perfect and the creation of each one of us is perfect, so guess what? He did leave us with a handbook only it didnīt come in the form of a booklet, but rather a voice or gentle nudge from within.
How many times have you had a feeling about a person or situation and rationalized all of the reasons you were wrong to think that way?
How many times have you wished you trusted your initial gut reaction to something?
We have all at one time or another wished we had trusted what that feeling was telling us. So how can you begin to recognize and trust your first instinct whether itīs with your child or any other situation you find yourself in? For me it began with a feeling about certain things. When my oldest son (who is now 11) was little, I felt very strongly about eliminating any foods with preservatives, dyes, hormones or antibiotics, or artificial ingredients (including sodas) from our diet. I couldnīt really say what made me feel so strongly in opposition of these items, but something inside encouraged me to make these changes and so I did. Today we are aware that most of these things impact the health, weight or behavior of our children. I had similar feelings about vaccinations, antibiotics for treating ailments such as ear infections or colds, and the impact of video games or other pop culture media on the minds of children. Believe me when I tell you to stand in a doctorīs office and decline a vaccination is difficult, because they will attempt everything to convince you why they know whatīs best, but in the end I stuck with my gut feeling. Since that time there have been several cases of autism linked to certain vaccinations and although a majority of the medical community and the pharmaceutical companies will do their best to discredit these findings, our intuition says otherwise. Today I have found a holistic doctor (who came from a traditional medical background) who strongly opposes vaccinations and treats ailments using homeopathic methods. Now this is not to say I havenīt vaccinated my kids for certain things and that I wonīt do so in the future; I will however, pay attention to what my gut tells me with regard to each individual choice I make.
Here are some of the ways your intuition may appear for you (these arenīt all of the ways it may appear, but a few I have observed based on a personīs style for receiving information):
A feeling in your body. It may come from your gut or somewhere else in your body. You may just have an icky feeling or a really good feeling about something and not understand why. (A perfect example would be a person who decides not to get into an elevator with someone because a feeling shows up and doesnīt feel really good.)
An inner voice. Some people actually hear a voice that speaks to them and may or may not sound like their own. Tune in and pay attention to what it says. If the advice is safe and would benefit you in the situation it is most likely coming from a higher source. If it ever advices you to do something that would harm yourself or anyone else, it is most likely not your higher self.
A vision or dream. Some people are visual and may actually see an outcome for a situation they are uncertain about. Look for other visual clues which may align with something you already became aware of.
A feeling outside of your body. You may experience a tingly sensation that comes out of nowhere and may feel really warm or may cause goose bumps. This is often the presence of a guide, angel or your higher self reassuring you your decision or feeling is an accurate one.
Some of the techniques I have used to sharpen both my own intuition and that of my childrenīs may seem silly to some, but I have found many of these practices to be extremely useful in trusting the initial gut reaction to something. For example, I have been watching House Hunters on HGTV for over 10 years. Now itīs not unusual for anyone who watches the show to guess which house a couple will choose to buy out of the three choices they are offered. The twist for me however, is to guess which house they will choose before the show begins. Based on the immediate hit I receive about a house, I have been 98% accurate in guessing the one they will choose. In a similar fashion, I quiz my son about who sings certain songs on the radio purely for the purpose of teaching him to tune into the sound of a voice. I am aware his intuitive strength is the use of his clairaudient ability so by training him to listen to the sound of a personīs voice he strengthens his acute sense of hearing. I also trust what my children say about things they otherwise wouldnīt know. For my sonīs 7th birthday, we gave him a baby iguana as his gift. Shortly after, we had to leave town for a family emergency and while we were away he said- "my iguanaīs dead." At first I reassured him his iguana was just fine, but when we returned, sure enough his pet was gone. From that point on I never questioned another statement he or any of my children made about something. It simply was his inner voice telling him something factual and as parents we often question what our children say, but who better to take our cures from but a child who hasnīt been taught to mistrust the advice they are given?
So in the end, the simple advice is this- trust yourself. Trust the voice inside that is waiting to be activated by you, and the answers to all of your questions will be answered for the highest good of all involved. Initially it may not be easy. You will want to revert back to the support of outside sources to confirm what you know and if you remain aware of the intention someone has when they offer you their advice, you will begin to either see people showing up to support you in finding your intuition or people will show up to challenge your faith in yourself. Either way, the real expert is you and the only person who can guide you to making the right decisions for you in your life is, you guessed it- YOU!
© 2008 by Tara Paterson, ACPI CCPI, All Rights Reserved
Co-author Raising Intuitive Children (New Page Books, spring ī09)
www.parentingintuitives.com
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