YOUR INNER GUIDANCE          

          Do you follow your impulses? We all have them, from moment to moment.  We have to listen for them.  Failing to be aware of those impulses deprives us of critically important information, for impulses tell us what the inner self knows about the potential for our lives.

          "Impulses" or "gut feel" are words to describe spontaneous urges to take some sort of action.   Where do these urges come from?

          Our impulses arise from our inner self or subconscious mind, the storehouse of all our knowledge, both learned and unlearned.  "Intuition" is a word that describes a mental functioning with broad applications.  Scientific research on the functioning of the left and right brains indicate that intuition, as a function of the right brain hemisphere, is indeed, a real ability, as is a language ability.  And, like language ability, it is possessed by everyone.  

          Intuition can give information in many areas, one of which concerns the best action to take.  That type of intuition can be called operative.  Our inner self is aware of all the talents we possess, knows what work would bring us the most satisfaction, and which relationships would bring the most happiness.  That inner self hasn't put the constraints on us that social conditioning has.

          Your spontaneous inner urges truly are your closest communication with your inner self.  But many people find it difficult to follow their impulses, because they don't trust them.

          When we hear the word "impulses", we often first think of those urges that seem dangerous, morally wrong, or contradictory.  Social and religious conditioning has taught us not to trust ourselves.  Underlying those outer messages are implications that we are fundamentally bad or undisciplined and must be bridled and harnessed.  Are we? 

          You have every right to examine your impulses and choose which to follow.  Of course, you would probably not follow an impulse to harm another.  Some impulses rise from anger and other emotions, not from intuition.   But you must at least be aware of all your impulses, even if you don't act on them.  Take note of the impulses you have about a situation or decision.  Later compare your hunches to the outcome of those situations.  You will soon learn to differentiate between those impulses that arise from intuition, and those that arise from emotion.

          A classic story is told about operative intuition and Winston Churchill.  As he was headed toward the driver's side of his car during WWII, Churchill suddenly got a feeling that he should go around to the other side.  As he did, he avoided being injured by a bomb that exploded near the driver's side of the car.