Is it my gut feeling or is it my fear speaking?

Written By Kim Miller

Edited by Kristine Sultmanis

We often hear successful people talk about how they finally reached their goals, when they started to follow their gut instincts. Two years ago, I went through a life changing event that pushed me to redefine my life and to work on myself. I did a lot of retrospection and discovered that I should have listened to my gut more when making important decision. I promised myself that from now on, I would listen more to my gut feeling. But how do we know if the little voice we hear inside us comes from our gut feeling or from irrational fear? According to learmingmind.com, there are some distinctive signs to help you determine if the voice you hear is the voice of your gut feeling or the voice of an irrational fear.

1-Usually your gut feeling expresses itself early on. Your true intuition usually sends signals to your brain before any limiting beliefs kick in. Limiting beliefs are created from negative past experiences and often stop you from moving forward by altering your perception. Take time to think about when you started having this feeling.

2-Your gut feeling won’t scream at you! Usually your gut feeling is like a whisper or a peaceful voice telling you something. If you feel like your brain is screaming a warning to you and it brings you anxiety, it usually is caused by fear - rational or irrational.

3-Your gut feeling is like your inner best friend talking to you. Like a friend, your gut feeling will recommend actions and make suggestions. Your inner best friend will never scream at you or express itself in a negative or pushy way. Your gut feeling offers peaceful guidance to help you be your best self and live your best life.

4- Your gut feeling message may come in different shapes, but the message will repeat itself. This is a message worth being heard and your subconscious will go to great lengths to make sure you understand it. You may have heard the voice originally and chose to ignore it. If you continued in that direction, you may have noticed signs that kept reinforcing the original message. If you chose to act in a way that is aligned with your gut feeling, you may have noticed signs that confirmed you were heading in the right direction. It is all in the signs.

5- Your gut feeling messages will be based on facts and will bring you clarity. As you begin to follow your gut feelings, you will notice new paths, new people and new opportunities starting to present themselves. You will not feel a sense of urgency. Instead you may experience feelings of passion and excitement. The fog is lifted, and the way is clear!

6- Your gut feelings are not expressed as excuses. Your gut feelings are usually concise message that are straight forward. If your little voice is making up excuses as to why this is how you should perceive something, this is usually not your gut talking. Emotions and irrationals fears may be guiding the little voice. Gut feelings are not excuses, they are messages designed to help you grow and be more aligned with where you are supposed to be.

7-Guts feelings and anxiety do not hang out together. Do you feel overwhelmed, or feel that everything is falling apart? These feelings are a good indicator that your inner voice is fear based and this is an emotional reaction. You will hear your gut feeling voice when you are in a peaceful state and your mind is clear.

8-Gut feelings won’t blame you or anyone else. Is your little voice filled with personal blame and makes you feel belittled or guilty? This is a sign of irrational thoughts. Your gut feeling message will be filled with facts and will send you signs, but ultimately you will feel free to make your own decision. It will not make you feel less because of the actions you are taking.

9-Don’t turn your gut feeling message into paranoia. Because your gut feeling is usually based on a fact or clear sign of something, you should not experience feelings of paranoia. If you start to feel paranoid over the message you heard, start looking within yourself to see when this extreme emotion comes on. Do you have any rational behind this alarming feeling? Does this feeling get stronger when you face specific situation?

Looking back at some personal and professional decisions I made in the past, I can see how the outcomes may have been different if I had listened to my gut. Learning to listen to your gut feelings is an important part of your personal development. As you learn to trust yourself and listen to your inner voice, you will begin to recognize that you often have the answer inside of you. You just need to be open to hearing them. Turning to your gut feeling when you feel lost or unsure, will help you make decisions with confidence and verify you are on the right path. As you become more in tune with your gut instincts, it will become easier to differentiate between inner guidance and fear-based reactions.

How easy is it for you to listen your gut feeling and trust your ability to make decisions? Let me know in the comment section below or send me a private message.

Coach Kim