How to Access Your Intuition

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Have you ever had that flash of insight? That “Oh my Gosh, of course” moment?

In the book Flight Plan: The Real Secret of Success, Brain Tracy refers to such moments as the Super-conscious, which is the intuition that resides in all of us. As silly as this might sound, neuropsychology is beginning to back up that intuition is real and using techniques to activate the Super-conscious is effective.

Our brains are constantly working to make sense of our world, even when we are not consciously aware that it is doing so.  The brain uses patterns to inform our decision making process. Consequently, our brain will notice and assimilate patterns around us, without our conscious knowledge. All that information is in there, we just need to find ways to unlock the information.

If you want to put this idea to the test, pick a TV show that you enjoy and watch regularly. After watching the show, write down (you have to write it down) the following questions and your answers.

• How does what I’ve learned relate to what I already know?
• How might I use this new information in the future?  (If you’re doing the experiment, the answer to this one is always  “To predict what will happen in the next show.”

I haven’t actually done this experiment because I don’t watch much TV, but the presenter of the workshop I attended on brain function and executive skills swears that by the third or fourth show you will be able to accurately predict the storyline. (Things like which character going to be the focus of the next show, what their conflict might be.)  Once I have some time, I plan to use the two questions to study scenes of a book.  

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Let's get back to Mr. Tracy. In order to activate the Super-conscious, he recommends writing down, in detail, the problem you are trying to solve.  This can be a situation with another person, a problem at your job, even a plot issue.  Then, when the time is right, your Super-conscious will give you the answer.  If you want to try engaging your Super-conscious further, he suggests calming your brain through relaxation techniques, meditation, etc…, which may lead to an answer quicker.

There are three ways we can know that an answer comes from our Super-conscious.

• The answer will be complete. All details of the problem will have a solution.
• The answer will be simple, clear and within in your abilities to complete.
• The answer will "feel" right. Since the Super-conscious comes directly from your intuition, the answer will create a happy and relaxed feeling, and you will be eager to implement the solution.

Mr. Tracy cautions that you have to be ready to react in a timely fashion to the intuition. If you get the urge to call someone, call them. Don’t wait a week. You have to have faith in your brain and its ability to see patterns even when we aren’t aware of it.

Do you think you might try out any of these techniques? Do you believe in intution?

I'd like to say "Welcome" to Ty Roper, who has decided to join us! I'd also like to mention that Chapter One of Finding Meara is up on Wattpad, if you'd like to take a look. I'll be uploading Chapter Two on Wednesday.

Trust the Process

To be truthful, I stole the title of this post from John Taylor, bass player of Duran Duran.  In his case, the title referenced the process of living a happy life, both clean and sober.  For me, the words jump to mind as I trip over rejections, uncertainty, frustration, apathy, and any number of obstacle illusions that appear in the path of this journey of becoming a successfully published author. 

Dr. Joyce Brothers said “Trust your hunches.  They’re usually based on facts filed away, just below the conscious level.”  For those who claim “Pantser” title (of writing by the seat of their pants, instead of outlining or putting much thought into direction), I imagine the trusting of hunches is quite a simple task.  I, unfortunately, cannot claim “pantser-ship.”  I am firmly bound by rules and like the structure of a simple outline.  I don’t know how much of an anomaly I am, but I have come to embrace the fact that I am what I am.  For me, structure provides stable soil in which my creative impulses grow to fruition.  That being said, I have had to learn to allow my hunches to fully expand.  I have to remind myself to trust the process of writing, of exploring and delving into the fertile ground of my subconscious outside of the outlined fences I erect around my work in progress.  It makes me uneasy at times.  I want assurances that I am writing the best story, that I’m doing it right.  It’s hard to step back and trust in intuition, but it gets easier with practice, and there is no more joyful surprise than when the muse speaks, pulling from my subconscious the absolutely most perfect ending, or story twist, or character so that I am shocked I didn’t think of it before.

I also have to remind myself to trust the process of becoming a writer.  When I compare my journey to that of other writer’s, I sometimes become frustrated.  I am acutely aware of the clock ticking and the years passing.  I have met most of my self-imposed goal posts, but still become afraid that the cost may end up outweighing the benefit.  Placing my trust in an unknown outcome is an extremely hard thing to do.  Trusting the process of becoming a writer means my journey is the best journey for me.  I do not need to compare myself with other writer’s, instead I can be happy for their successes.  I can take my time learning what I need to learn, because the next lesson will arrive when I am ready for it.  The process of becoming then becomes the goal.  And, as long as you continue to write and learn, you can’t fail at becoming.