In football, the ball is snapped and players from both teams scatter in all directions at top speed. There is hitting, blocking and deception. But, there are a few very gifted players who, despite the chaos and their opponents attempts to take them out, always seem to make all the right moves. The announcers say, “He has a nose for the ball.” What he really has is a well- developed intuition. Granted, he may be talented and experienced. He may have prepared well and fully understood the game plan. He may have trained his body into top shape. But, when the play starts, there is very little time to react. So, the great player sniffs out the right move with his intuition. It’s what sets him apart from the rest.

We can do the same with our intuition. It’s a key to our success. A key to making the correct moves in life at the exact moment in time they must be made. But, first we must develop a relationship with our intuition. We must become attuned to the ways it communicates with us.

Strengthen intuition the same way you would enhance a relationship. Give it attention. Become familiar with it. Look for it when you require help. Let go and trust your intuition. Act on it when your feelings are strong.

1. Preparation is always a key with intuition.Get as much information as possible surrounding the issue you are attempting to address or solve.
2. Allow the normal creative process to take over.There is usually an amount of “cooking time” required to allow the thoughts to sort themselves and make previously unconsidered connections.
3. Don’t wait for the answer. Getting impatient, tense or demanding only makes it worse.Trust that your mind is working for you.
4. Occupy yourself with other tasks or pleasurable pursuits. It can be during these“down moments”that the intuitive ideas appear.
5. Learn to recognize intuition and acknowledge its ideas.

It can take a little practice to ensure you are not simply grasping at straws. That the ideas you now have are in fact intuitive. The feeling you get with an intuitive thought is one of complete certainty. “That’s it!”“It just feels right.”“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.” Sometimes, the answer you seek arrives in your consciousness as if you’ve known it all along. Other times, it may sound like that familiar voice inside your head. But, normally, it’s not so much a string of thoughts leading to its discovery as a finished thought arriving to you whole, completely formed and remarkably appropriate.

More and more, we’re hearing workers being encouraged to “think outside the box.” What at first may seem like a crazy idea, upon examination, may be a breakthrough concept. Innovation is the faucet at the end of the intuition pipeline.

EXERCISE

Select an issue or question that you have been thinking about or struggling with. It could be a decision you will soon have to make or an action you’ll have to take. It doesn’t have to be about you. Maybe someone you know has asked for your advice. Tonight, just before bed, spend a few moments allowing yourself to acknowledge your subconscious mind. Feel its power and ability with absolute clarity. Recognize deep down that your mind has access to the knowledge you are seeking. Then, tell your mind clearly and decisively what it is you would like to know. Feel your mind beginning to sort and access the information, as if it is a computer clicking away, processing information. Repeat the request if necessary. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. Just be aware that the perfect answer or insight is on its way. And, keep your journal at your bedside while you sleep. Be prepared to instantly write down the information and the feelings that will carry it to you. The intuition may come to you as you wake up or it may appear in your dreams.