This morning I got a question from a former client who was super-excited about a new project idea:

“How can I TRUST my intuition – and KNOW for sure the direction I’m headed is the right one?”

Cool question.

And it got me thinking about Leslie, a woman I met earlier this year — who THOUGHT she was following her intuition.

(But she wasn’t.)

Leslie had been feeling really stuck for the past 3+ years. She’s been spinning her wheels, stalled in her career, and finding herself squashed flat in an unproductive relationship.  Yuckorama.

So when Leslie and I started working on igniting a fire back under her long-dormant dreams — her passions came rarin’ back to life!

And a HUGE, EXCITING, BOLD new dream started pouring through her … Inspiring her in ways she hadn’t felt in far, far too long.

But…

(Don’tcha hate “buts?”)

Leslie was also carrying around a lot of mental garbage, too.

Common beliefs like:

• I need this to be my “Big Break”
• Making money is exhausting and tedious
• I wish I had a million dollars in the bank

And beneath THOSE beliefs are ones like:

• I’m not where I thought I’d be at this age
• My dreams haven’t panned out – and maybe never will!
• I’ve screwed up things in my past – maybe I’M the thing that’s screwed up?

And this list goes on and on and on…

So guess what happened to this big, bold intuitively-inspired idea pouring through Leslie?…

Sure, it started out “pure” – but got snagged on her inner limiting beliefs and fears – turning a previously “intuitively-inspired” TRUSTABLE idea… into an ego-eruption instead.

She assumed that since she had a smile on her face, and was flyin’ high – it MUST be an “intuitive truth!” = A sign to move forward with the idea that had high-jacked her emotions.

But her idea quickly turned into nothing but her brain’s clever con-artistry.

Sure, it looked great on the outside: It was fabulous… flashy… fun… with the grand hope of becoming the ultimate “The End-All-Be-All” project.

(Hello, early retirement — Cha-Ching!)

You probably have grand moments like this too along your journey – I sure-as-heck have.

In fact, you’re getting trustable divine insights and intuitive downloads… constantly.

They come in the form of: an urge; thought; passion; synchronicity; solution; song; image; or knowing.

But if you don’t watch out, they get snagged, twisted, butchered and contorted by your fears and limitations along the way. And what once was an idea that could transform your entire life for the better can quickly turn sour (and south) at lightning speed.

And, as you probably already guessed, I’ve watched Leslie spend countless months pursuing an idea that I knew from the get-go would never pan out the way she’d hoped. Simply because she was no longer listening to true intuitive guidance.

Bummer.

In fact, if she would have listened to her authentic intuition from the start – and cleaned up the brain-blocks getting in the way – she’s be sittin’ pretty… having built something that would have lead her many massive steps closer to living her fulfilled, soulful self-expression.

So how is it that a smart woman like Leslie could stray SO far from her own inner guidance? And MOST importantly — how can you spot this in yourself, and course-correct… before it snowballs out of control?

Easy.

Here are 3 quick Intuitive Rules-o’-Thumb to follow when making a TRULY-TRUSTABLE intuitive decision…

It’s probably NOT intuition if…

1. You’re feeling EXTREME excitement.

If you’re feeling super-duper high, giddy, euphoric or over-the-moon — there’s a VERY high likelihood that your insights aren’t crystal-clear intuitive info. (And that goes for lousy feelings, too: if you’re feeling sad, desperate, torked-off or needy, then you’re probably missing the mark.)

Intuition usually comes through as a still inner knowing — as if a magnet in your belly is pulling and inspiring you forward… (vs. your brain: which likes to push, shove and force it’s way over the finish-line.)

2. You’ve got a NOISY brain.

If you don’t learn to explore your beliefs, work with your mind, and quiet your mental clutter, it’s pretty darn tough to tell “intuition” from your run-o-the-mill, sneaky cerebral cray-cray.

Let your brain run wild, and you’re left with loads of limiting, fear-based beliefs that become energetic hairballs in your spiritual pipeway… gumming up and clogging your view of yourself, others and the world around you.

…Bye-bye, Intuition!

3. You’ve AFRAID of the answer.

When you’re attached to getting a specific outcome, or are too emotionally attached to a situation in general, it’s easy for your brain to block ANY information that will go against what your ego desires.

Until you’re 100% OK, neutral and hunky-dory with receiving the absolute truth – whatever that truth may be — your intuitive insights will be a wee bit skewed (if not entirely, complete, flat-out W-R-O-N-G-O).

There are lots of other subtle aspects to developing rockin’, and trustable, intuitive abilities — but this should be some solid food-for-thought to get you through the week.

Because if you ask me: Intuitive Know-How is the #1 MOST important skill a gal can have in this wild-n-wacky, fast-paced modern world.

I rely heavily on my own intuition. Every day. All day long. For just about every area of my life.

And I couldn’t be more giddy (and grateful) about that fact.

My life AFTER intuition is utterly unrecognizable from the woman I was a few short years ago.

I’ve got more trust in the world. Make better decisions. Have more compassion. Take braver leaps o’ faith. (And an endless list of other powerful perks…)

And of course I want that for you, too.

*Feel free to post any of YOUR stories where you THOUGHT you were following a (seeming) “sure thing” intuitive-hit… that ended up more like a spiritual stink-bomb. Or ask any questions you have around the topic of intuition – I’m happy to answer!

© Copyright 2015 Stephanie McWilliams LLC