How to do intuitive decision-making
I learned something about intuitive decision-making years ago in Blockbuster Video. After spending way too long wandering the aisles and choosing and rejecting videos one evening, my husband and I had finally narrowed our selection down to two. We just couldn't choose between them, so he suggested flipping a coin and leaving it to chance, and I agreed.
We flipped the coin, and once it was revealed I suddenly realized I did have a preference. For the other one. (This would be a better story if I could remember which movie it was. Alas.)
As someone who is generally indecisive and almost always willing to just go with the flow, I was glad to have found this way to uncover an unconscious preference.*
Since that day I've used this technique many times, sometimes by using a coin but more often by just imagining that a decision was arbitrarily imposed and then paying attention to my physical and emotional response. Almost always I can quickly tell which is the "right" choice by how it feels
Many decisions we have to make have serious consequences and complicated outcomes. Especially for those situations it's helpful to find a way to override your rational mind and tap into your intuition — the part of you that already knows the right decision, even if it's difficult or unpleasant or frightening. How to find the courage to accept and act on your intuitive decision is for another post!
Here's another technique for tapping into your intuition for a yes or no question:
Stand up with knees slightly bent, and put your hands over your solar plexus (under the ribs), elbows tucked in. Close your eyes and take two deep breaths. Ask yourself your question, then pay attention to your body's response. It works for big or small questions, for example, "Will that sandwich agree with me?" "Do I really want that new job/relationship/house?" "Would I benefit from an energy healing session?" Possible "yes" responses: your body leans slightly forward; you get a warm, open, tingly sensation; you smile; you hear or feel or just intuit the word "Yes!" Possible "no" responses: your body leans slightly backwards; you get a feeling of tightness or constriction; you hear or feel or just intuit the word "No."
It can be useful to experiment with rational thinking processes — the pros, cons, what-ifs, why-nots. And yet underneath it all we tend to already know the answer, it's just a question of finding a way to reveal it to ourselves.
If you have a tried-and-true method for intuitive decision-making, I would love to hear about it!
* Side note: my husband sees a coin toss as a decision to surrender and do as the coin says. If trying this at home, I recommend agreeing ahead of time how the outcome will be interpreted!
