Your Intuition is Calling. Are You Going to Pick Up the Phone?

Fear and mistrust of your own intuition may be getting in the way of your happiness.

Sometimes you KNOW what you’re supposed to do. You have that feeling in your stomach. Do you follow your intuition? Or do you let fear hold you back?

We’re trained to believe rational thought and verifiable truths over our intuition. Sadly, we don’t give ourselves enough credit. How do I know this? Because if I hadn’t listened to my intuition—in the face of numerous counter-arguments—I wouldn’t be on the pathway to living the life of my dreams. Here’s my story.

In December 2016, I wound up in the emergency room thinking I might be having a stroke. I’m 55 and in excellent health. The nurse laughed at my low normal blood pressure and assured me I wasn’t having a stroke. A CT scan revealed no brain tumor. The doctor diagnosed my symptoms as stress. What an irony for a professional coach!

What caused the stress? I was in a soul-sucking coaching gig. I loved my clients but the organization had grown toxic, with so many rules I could no longer provide quality coaching to my 90 clients. But, as a single woman, I felt I had no options. I felt trapped. I didn’t want to let my clients down.

Having happy hour with friends on March 3, they gently nudged me to explore options. I left with an “aha” moment that I do have some savings and I could walk away from the coaching gig. That night, intuition called. I woke up at 3 a.m. with exactly these words in my head, “I need to leave this contract, go to Bhutan, study happiness, come home, and write a book called Think Like Bhutan.” I spent the rest of the night researching Bhutan, a small Buddhist kingdom sandwiched between China and India. I had followed their story since they inadvertently launched the global happiness movement in 2011.

On March 31, I left the coaching gig. On April 9, I boarded a plane for two-and-a-half weeks in Bhutan via India and Nepal. Solo. Just me, a guide, and a driver. I knew the trip would change my life but I couldn’t anticipate how deep those transformations would go. I returned home May 1 and began to reinvent my life, aligned to a new true north.

Think of my life like a snow globe, the kind that appears in stores around Christmas. I turned my life upside down and shook it hard. It took 44 days, some excellent coaching, and an invitation from a friend before the pieces began to settle into a pattern. On day 53, I had absolute clarity for my new life.

What is that clarity? I have focused my coaching practice on supporting people in defining their personal pathway to happiness. On June 28, I launched The Happiness Society, an open Facebook community that provides tools, resources, and a forum for finding happiness in a complex world. Aligned with my coaching practice, I am launching my own version of “Successories” focused on products that support us in cultivating happiness. I have launched a podcast series. And, there’s more in the planning stage.

On the surface of it, I walked away from a stable revenue source into the void of the unknown because I had a dream. I don’t believe many of us are called, few are chosen. I believe many are called, few are willing to answer the phone. Of the those who listen to the pitch, the majority decline the invitation out of fear of one sort or another. How would I do that? It sounds hard. I don’t have all the answers. What would my friends and family say? What if it doesn’t work out?

As someone who has trusted my intuition’s call at least three distinct times in my life, I can assure you that it has always lead to something amazing. Even if it was not what I expected, I have so far not died, been maimed, found myself incarcerated, or brought shame upon myself. In fact, each new call has lead me to learn and grow. Each stage of my life (remember, I’m 55), has built on the previous stages. Each stage gets better.

I’m a professional coach and we love questions. So, let me ask you, “Are you so different from me that my intuition is great and yours isn’t?” Of course not! Have courage to face your fears. If intuition called and you want to explore your own snow globe moment, get in touch with me for a free phone consultation. You CAN have the life that you want. You deserve happiness.