Gut Feeling Versus Brain: Who Wins?

Do you think it or feel it? Decisions, that is. I do a little of both in most situations. I used to be all head and logic, thinking myself into a tornado of what-ifs. They would circle me at higher and higher speeds, increasing in number by the minute. Soon I was whipped into a frenzy of anxiety and frustration, when nothing had actually even happened yet.

On the flip side, thoughts like, “maybe its best to be patient and see what happens, got jacked by my brain and ego screaming — MY WAY,  NOW! At best, intuition was just something I would feel as a vague tickle in my stomach now and again. I passed it off as a fluke.

Now I know the gut and brain have their equal place. We need them to take care of their individual assignments and do them well. Its not about looking at one as better than the other, or thinking that if you have a tendency towards one that you are in some way defective. Its all about the balance.

The Head Plus Heart Equation

When you look at it realistically, heart and mind can and should be working in unison. Combined, they paint a more complete picture, offering you all the information you need to make the best possible choices. What often trips people up is the sheer amount of information flying between the two. People have no idea how to decipher it, either becoming overwhelmed or blocking it out.

One of the most critical tools we need in our tool belt is a way to journey inward; get to the rough, raw parts of ourselves. When the truth of who you are is covered up, bogged down in to-do’s or lost in self-distractions, its no wonder you have no idea whether to trust your heart, mind or the hobo yelling on the corner. Its impossible to tell what is guiding you because you don’t know how to tune in and FEEL the truth.

Tuning into Your Unique Process

As human beings we all crave a balance of mental and physical peace, whether we know it or not logically. The journey of how each of us gets there is unique. For me its a tingling sensation in my tummy or hands when something feels right or is a positive choice. Other times its a thump in my gut or a lump in my throat. To me this signals a need for further thinking and investigation, as I decipher if there is reason for caution or if its just fear.

If you take the time to sit with feelings and body sensations and ask yourself what you can learn from them, you can start combining the head and heart in ways more powerful than you ever imagined. The trick is to just let the mind explore thoughts without judging them as good or bad, especially as you get a better sense of what balanced means and feels like for you.

Now that I incorporate my intuition in all things, I am able to bypass a lot of mental muck and drama to start my logical thinking process in a much more advanced place. This helps me to feel more at ease, knowing I am bringing two very powerful forces to work together as one.

This week I encourage you to look at how in tune you are with your own body. Please tell me what you learn!

Photo by spettacolopuro on Flickr