Monday, November 9, 2009

Trust Your Instincts, Starting Today


I know it sounds counter productive to admit I was not going to blog today as my ideal / goal is to write daily but I really need to get on the road soon (driving to Florida, a two-day trip for us). However we are dragging our feet since the weather forecast is sun and 70 and there are some small unfinished projects like packing to take care and we’ve decided to head out,,,tomorrow.  So I decided, before I get to those projects, I’d take just a few minutes to go online and check my Facebook email when one of the ads to the far right caught my attention.


I rarely notice these ads let alone click on them but today there was one ad promoting a new book using a review quote from Depak Chopra and I felt compelled to click on it. It took me to the buy-this-book page on Amazon.com.  The book is titled, How to Rule the World From Your Couch by Laura Day and after scanning several of the reviews and description I learned the topic was intuition and how trusting in it will change your life. I am a big believer in intuition so I spent some more time looking around and even noticed that all 25 consumer reviews gave the book 5 stars!


Most of the reviews said it was a “life-changing book” and “a quick read” and  that it came with exercises to sharpen your skills. Almost all of the reviewers said, “will go back and re-read and do the exercises when I have more time.” You have to giggle at this off to the side with me for a second. How come we make the attempt, we actually reach out and find something that gets us excited only to decide to dedicate the time to ourselves starting...tomorrow. 


But I appreciated that everyone was praising her writing style and so I placed the book in the shopping cart and logged off and got to work on the kitchen. There I was scrubbing the pots and pans, wiping down the counters, tending to the trash yet all the while my mind was whirring about the connection between the creative process and intuition.  Don’t we rely on our instincts to push the paint a certain way, to come up with just the right word or to add just the right spice to a dish? The same is true no matter what your profession, at least for those that truly excel at what they do. I know that, in this context, trusting in your instincts may come after years of trial and error but I remember the best people I met in business were the ones that had great “street smarts.” The ones that trusted their instincts and pushed forward and became successful. 


But aren’t we creatives in the same frame of mind when we are in the creative process? When we are quiet, when our hearts and mind are open and we are working away in this creative state isn’t it also when we can hear and trust in our own intuition? Be as it relates to our creative projects or any part of our lives. Isn’t it in the listening? And won’t our lives be the better for it if we can train ourselves to be in this state of consciousness more often? That’s what my instincts are telling me anyway. What do yours say? Java!


P.S. I promise I will spend more time on this topic after I get to Florida...and buy the book...just give me a few tomorrows. 

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