Gut to Go

We ask a question in sailing: “When is the right time to the reef (your sails)?” And the answer is very simple: “When you first think of it.”

I call this an example of connecting to your gut. Or listening to your instincts. Before your mind has time to get distracted, rationalise, or justify… Our thoughts can be great con artists, but there is a tiny window between when you first get the idea and when you start thinking about the idea. That is the time we need to freeze and zoom in on. Those are usually the moments we come to regret. The, “Why didn´t I …!?” Or the, “I just wish I had…!”

I had one of those yesterday when Milo, my quirky, hand-reared, omni-present cat, disappeared for hours to avoid a pending vet visit, and I ignored my thought of “Pick him up and take him inside safely,” when I saw him just before lunch. Hours of tears, combing the lanes, neighbours checking their sheds, and self-recriminating “Why didn´t I” laments later, he reappeared out of nowhere.

Will I stop myself in my tracks next time? I certainly hope so. But it takes time to learn to pause in that tiny little gap. To backtrack and actually act on that very first brain imprint. It´s a practice I encourage clients to begin doing, especially those who are ruled by their heads, because your gut has the ´knowing´ you are seeking … but probably don´t trust.

Try it next time you have a decision or choice to make. Just once. Focus on what your intuition tells you by quietening your mind and being still for a little while. And see what comes up. Then act on that, not on the thoughts that crowd in afterwards or what others advise.

Have a great weekend