How to tell the Difference Between Fear and Intuition

You know that feeling, you’ve felt it before.

A hunch or inner knowing to do something that seemed to come to your awareness out of nowhere.

Maybe you were going along your day, minding your own business and them BOOM, a thought peruses thru/through you.

An insight to call a loved one whom you hadn’t spoken to in a while or a present reminder to move forward on decision you’ve been cycling through for some time, as now you feel more clear to commit to taking the next step.

Afterwards this has left you feeling aligned, centered, and at ease. You just ‘knew’ what to do in that moment, and leaped into it without looking back for second.

This is the equivalent of a Steph Curry or Dame Lillard 3 point splashes (from more than 10 feet behind the line), that’s taken with so much confidence, that the defender isn’t even in arm’s length. 🏀🗑️

However, have you also noticed that there’s been other times where you’ve intuitively received an insight, but right afterwards felt an undercurrent of fear somewhere in your body, causing you to question whether or not to move forward on the original insight?

If you’re gingerly looking to your left and right, while inwardly raising your hand, then this message is for you.

I’d like to share one (1) specific way to easily discern between these two, at those times where you may sense confusion:

1.     Intuition is a gentle inkling in an instant, a spark that appears without any ruminating thought

2.     Fear feels heavy, and is the bodies way of protecting us on both a psychological and physiological level

However, in stating that about fear, it’s something that if we don’t learn to discern between what’s a ‘real’ threat, versus what the body is actually attempting to contract us from, then we’ll naturally limit actions that will allow us to rise to our full potential.

Here’s another under layer, that can also create a sense of keen awareness as to what choice to make in the moment.

Listen to the heart.

Here’s an example.

For years I had a hearts vision of moving to Costa Rica, and this was without ever even visiting the country.

The vision wasn’t coming from a place of attachment either.

It was a repetitive intuition that powerfully showed up at various times over the past 5 years.

However, when it came time to officially move, I felt groundless for a period. A sense of fear and overwhelm started to occur within my body, and it was clear as day to me what was happening.

“Ahhh, the ‘fear’ of the unknown is bubbling up.”

A new country, a different language, the need to incorporate a new daily rhythm in a foreign land…..all of these thoughts began to flood my psyche.

As I ruminated on these thoughts, then the fear began to be filter through my neck and the bottom of my stomach (this is how I personally recognize fear shows up for me).

While feeling this, my breath began to become shallower (breathing from my chest, instead of my belly).

This leads to less oxygen to the brain and lungs.

And guess what this creates?

More thoughts.

So, something that originally started as a feeling of deep excitement, then began to graduate into a sense of overwhelm and fear.

But guess what occurred before the fear?

A thought, which led to another thought, which led to a sense a worry.

I think you get the picture.

So, you’re probably wondering by now, what do you do to create clarity when in the mix of emotions that contract the body?

Here’s what you do:

1.     Firstly, create an opening of your chest and body, taking up as much space as possible (the body tends to slouch or contract when feeling discomfort)

2.     You slow down your breath, begin breathing deeply into the base of your belly (this lowers the heart rate and creates more oxygen throughout the whole body, which naturally begins to quiet the mind)

3.     You re-center yourself (go outside and get some fresh air, place your bare feet on the ground/grass, and step away from any noise or distractions that may be present)

4.     You express compassionate gratitude to yourself (being genuinely grateful for the uncomfortable feeling that is perusing through your body)

5.     You focus your awareness in the center of your chest, right where your heart lays, preferably with your eyes closed... opening the front of the chest even more by breathing into it (again no contracting, stay open)

6.     After you feel more balanced (knowing it’s the case by how rhythmic your breath is, calm your mind, and open your heart). You ask one question…

7.     What does love desire to express through me in this moment?

If you truly resonate to being connected to a high purpose, that is grounded into a clear vision, then inwardly you’ll know exactly what to do.

The answer isn’t outside of you, but it’s up to your own inner personal discernment, to really ‘feel’ into and see it through.

Hopefully this has been helpful to you (that rhymed).

With Love,

Brandon