Do you listen to your intuition? Personally, I love mine. Listen to it all the time. Every time I’ve followed this faithful friend–answered the call, taken the pilgrimage it’s calling me towards–amazing things have happened in my life. My faith has grown. And I become more and more sure that the universe really is here to support me. So why the heck have I been ignoring my intuition for literally months?

At first, I didn’t even realize I was. I felt like I was just making different choices. You know, choosing an apple instead of an orange. Choosing this path instead of that one. Now I realize what I was really doing is choosing desperately clinging to the idea of certainty.

‘Cause I’m scared.
‘Cause what my intuition is asking me to do feels like a lot of work.
‘Cause, like a late night infomercial, a “sure thing” sounded so seductive and so… easy.

Turns out: desperately clinging to certainty has actually led me to the most uncertain place of my life.
The radio silence I’ve had going with myself is totally disorienting. And totally lonely.
My faith is dwindling, suffocating- barely hanging on… And I’m even having a hard time mustering up some self-compassion ’cause I feel like I did this to myself. Like I choose not to listen to me and now I’m paying the price.
I don’t like it. Not even a little.

And I so DON’T believe it has to be this way!

One of my favorite lines from “Eat, Pray, Love” goes something like this, “to fall out of balance for love sometimes is part of living a balanced life.” Well, for me, this same sentiment applies to listening to my intuition. Sometimes choosing not to listen to our intuition is how we learn to recognize + trust this greater part of ourselves.
So today I’m making lemonade and turning this personal silent treatment into an opportunity for both you + me. I mean it’s a perfect way for to learn about the ways we listen + the ways we avoid our intuition. So we can both figure out how to get back on board with our intuition and with our faith.

Here’s 4 signs you’re avoiding your intuition + how to get it back online.

1. Avoiding quiet time.
Intuition speaks to us in the quiet moments of our day. If your mind is racing, the TV is always on, or your phone is glued to your fingers odds are you’re avoiding what’s going on inside of you. Which includes your intuition.

Instead: Make quiet time a priority. It doesn’t have to be long periods of time; it just has to be intentional. Push pause on Candy Crush + take a few moments to listen to your gut.

2. You’re queen of the “yeah but.”
If a common response for you is “yeah but” you’re looking for the how things DON’T fit. Which means, you’re in defense mode. Like a goalie, you’re making sure nothing gets past you (or into you). Which includes your intuition.

Instead: Look for how things DO fit. This helps you move from defense, blocking everything that comes your way and into openness, accepting what comes your way.

3. Seeking (desperately) approval from other people.
This is like asking for permission from others. So you’re doing what they told you to instead of what your heart is calling you to do. It also means that we can easily and unintentionally blame them things don’t go our way.

Instead: Seek internal approval. It may be scary. It may be combined with nerves. AND ask yourself constantly, “is it what I’M drawn to?”

4. Scrambling like hell to get to the certain path.
Fighting to stay in your comfort zone- the seemingly sure thing- means you’re not willing to risk uncertainty or vulnerability. Which means you can’t grow or change. And there’s little room for faith and trust.

Instead: lean into the uncertainty and vulnerability. Listen to these fearful parts of you and take care of them like you would a fearful child. They hold the keys to your blocks.

*This post was originally published on Caley’s website, Life Purpose Coaching. For more from Caley visit www.caleyphilipps.com.