Trust your intuition. It’s a gift, and it’s always right. Yes, always! That inner knowing (gut feeling, hunch, whisper, etc.) is your God-given guide, your innate GPS. Don’t doubt it; identify the ways intuition reveals itself and practice strengthening your awareness, as “intuition comes to each of us in its own personal way.” (See the Phoenix Book Pick of the Week, Art of Intuition by Sophy Burnham).
Trust yourself and then observe your life positively transform!
The Art of Intuition: Cultivating Your Inner Wisdom by Sophy Burnham
Summer is the perfect time to catch up with reading, especially books you’ve had every intention to open months and months ago! Well, in my case I use the down time the season brings to read new books, as well as a few I’ve already read. The Art of Intuition is the latter. Consider it a refresher for me, a reminder to trust my intuition and to have faith that my experiences have cultivated inner wisdom.
The Art of Intuition confirms and affirms what I innately know but sometimes lose sight of now and again: Intuition is my guide. Following that “feeling” will lead me in the right direction and keep the woulda-coulda-shoulda syndrome at bay. You know exactly what woulda-coulda-shoulda syndrome is; it’s any moment when “something” (God, The Creator, Universe, angels, spirit guides, and so on) is telling you exactly what you need to do but ego says,”That’s illogical,” creating a mental road block. You listen to ego and end up saying one (or possibly all) of the following: “If I would have done…I could have done…or I should have done…”
What is intuition anyway? Burnham describe it as “a hunch, a gut feeling, an inspiration, or premonition, precognition, clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, prescience, second sight – the shiver of “knowing” that pierces the veil of time and peers briefly into the future or at least into what’s not happened yet. It’s a decision made so fast you don’t know how you reached it: “It came to me,” you say. The root of intuition is related to the word tuition, from the Latin tueri, meaning “to guard, to protect.” For no rational reason we suddenly know: “Go here, not there!”or sometimes: “Stop!” If we’re alert we respond instantly, because intuition is always right.”
With detailed instructions, Burnham shares how we can identify the various ways intuition reveals itself and practice strengthening that awareness, as “intuition comes to each of us in its own personal way.”
She also provides understanding by sharing inspiring real-life accounts from individuals who have followed their “gut feeling” and their amazing experiences as a result of trusting that inner guide.
This book is definitely helpful with my goal to continue developing my intuition so that I’m making healthy decisions from an empowered place that supports and protects my purpose in life.
Hey, Phoenix! Have you read this book? If so, tell us, in the comment section below, how it has supported your personal growth. If you have an intuition story, please share that, too.
About The Phoenix Book of the Week:
The Phoenix Book of the Week features book recommendations from The Phoenix Rising Collective, as well as the empowered women who support us. We’ll be sharing our thoughts on books that have been powerful resources for sustaining healthy self-esteem, creating emotional and spiritual wellness, and committing to intentional living. We’ll also share our personal stories about how and why the books have inspired personal growth and sparked “light bulb moments” that changed our lives in some way. The book picks may cover a wide range of topics from diverse genres.
Interested in sharing a book with us? Please click here to send your request for more details on submitting a book entry.
We think, feel, and act on our vibes without question or hesitation. -Sonia Choquette
What are vibes and why should we trust them? Our vibes are our intuition, and we make our best decisions by listening to them.
Learning About Vibes: Aisha’s Story
I only recently got into vibes. I was having a pretty difficult time, with life in general, when Simone (being the lovely friend she is) sent me a book geared at teaching me to trust my vibes. The book Simone sent me was Trusting Your Vibes by Sonia Choquette. I decided to start reading the book at night before bed and low-and-behold, it helped to give me some better insight into this whole vibe thing.
Now that I’m officially on board with the concept of vibes, let me tell you as a beginner what exactly trusting my own vibes has meant to me. There are a few themes that have resonated with me thus far on my journey:
The Importance of Sleep – Wait, What is that Anyway?
Anyone who knows me knows that I have problems with sleep. Mainly my problems with sleep come from just not getting any sleep, or infrequently getting a good night’s rest. Even as I write this, it is 1:47am, and I plan to be up early to go to class. One of the things Choquette suggests in the book is getting sleep, because you can’t listen to your vibes correctly if you are too tired. This resonated with me. As I move toward better listening to my vibes and following my intuition I have begun to focus on trying to get adequate amounts of sleep (if we don’t count tonight).
Paying Attention to What Goes In – Eating Better
Eating right and being nice to your body is also important for being able to pay adequate attention to your vibes. This is one thing that I have begun to refocus on lately, and it has helped. My sister who is on deployment asked me to take part in a fitness challenge with her, which requires that I journal all of my food and liquid consumption and all of my exercise. Taking the time to be conscious of what I am putting in my body has helped me have a better understanding of what listening to my body means.
The Power of Words
I always knew that words had power – but learning about trusting my vibes has solidified this for me. I now understand how what I put out in the form of words can affect my overall being. With that in mind, I’ve been working with a statement that I try to repeat to myself several times throughout the day – that statement for me is “this shall pass” – and so far it has helped immensely.
Your sixth sense is really your first sense. -Sonia Choquette
Trusting My Vibes: Simone’s Story
I love the quote above by Sonia Choquette. A few years ago, my Godmother let me flip through her copy of Choquette’s Trust Your Vibes.I had always thought of myself as very intuitive; however, it was the skim through Choquette’s book that encouraged me to dive deeper into my intuition and spirituality. I read her book just about everyday because it guides me in following spiritual law instead of living a life where I am not in tune with the Universe or myself.
Live in the Moment + Expect the Very Best from the Universe
In the past, I was very anxious, always expecting the worst. However, Choquette’s book has taught me to live in the moment and expect the very best from the Universe. To me, this means focusing on and enjoying what is right in front of me instead of trying to control everything. When I live in the moment, I am able to recognize the love around me: The laughter coming from my friends’ bellies, the mason jar of grapes feeling me with energy, and my cat, Ice T staring a hole into my soul!
Recognizing love, for me, lets me know that everything is already all right. I love being full of laughter, health, and good music, so I stay where good things are and expect them to be good, again and again. In the moment, I know that my power lies in being happy and full of love. If you are thinking about that typo you may or may not have fixed in your final draft, you might miss the opportunity to return a smile to a stranger or miss the sun setting on the way home from class. You could also miss the answers to your prayers. The moment is not only filled with happiness and love, it is also a place of intuition. I’ve learned so much about my life’s purpose and myself just by observing the colors, sounds, animals, buildings, etc. that surround me. I often say what I observe aloud or mentally; for example, “Ice T is snoring!” This technique helps me to recognize the love and beauty that surrounds me, which in turn, keeps me happy and full of positive energy.
Four Ways To Honor/Tap Into Your Intuition
We have complied a list of ways to stay in the moment and tap into your intuition. Get ready to trust your vibes, baby!
Create a Personal Altar – You can use your altar to connect with your spirit, intuition, and God. You can place pictures of family, candles, plants, purified water, and healing stones on your altar to help you connect with the deeper parts of yourself. Visit your altar everyday, and give thanks for guidance.
Keep an Intuition Journal – Create a journal to document your intuitive moments. Did you know you’d win those front row tickets to the Beyoncé concert? Write it down. Did you decide to take another way home and later discover that there had been a huge accident on your usual route? Write it down. The more we write down our intuitive moments and give thanks for our vibes, the more empowered we are to think positively and live in the moment.
Meditate / Yoga – “When you listen you become intuitive.” Meditation really encourages you to be still. In our experiences, being still helps us to become aware of the thought patterns, habits, etc. that keep us from accessing our vibes. Moreover, being still gives us the opportunity to listen to ourselves and connect with our intuition. Yoga does the same for us. And the plus with yoga is that we get both a physical and spiritual “workout.”
Eat Well + Sleep Well + Exercise – As Aisha mentioned, a healthy body is a great starting point for tapping into your intuition. When you’re rested and full of energy, you are more likely to feel your vibes.
Listening to our vibes has worked wonders in our lives. We’ve presented excellent papers at conferences, started new activities, met new people, and have been laughing so much more. Oh, and we’ve found missing bobby pins in the moments where we’ve stopped to cook ourselves a nice breakfast. Yes, bobby pins are everywhere!
So, tell us, have you trusted your vibes lately? If not, when will you begin?
Aisha Upton is a second-year PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh, studying Sociology and Women’s Studies. Her research interests include Black women in service organizations and violence against Black women. She is passionate about many things including community service, lipstick, baking, thrifting, knitting, and being a proud owner of a Cockapoo, Napoleon. At the intersection of being a diligent student, a fashionista, and an activist – you will find Aisha, attempting to find a balance. Be sure to read Aisha + Simone’s unique take on Life + Style and the importance of letting who you are shine through when defining your personal style.
Simone Savannahis an English instructor and contributing writer for the Project on the History of Black Writing at the University of Kansas. She is currently pursuing a PhD in English-Creative Writing and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. Her poetry is based on personal experiences she can’t let go—imagined or otherwise. Simone also enjoys making green smoothies, attending Bikram Yoga classes, and laughing uncontrollably. Simone is teaming with Aisha (read about her below) to bring you a unique take on Life + Style.
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