Gut feelings

Never From NEED!

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

0032PhotonicaOne of the biggest mistakes a business owner makes is when they have a desperate need then makes decisions from that energy.

The energy of need comes deep within us in fear.  When we are in fear, all our energy leaves our upper chakras and our rational mind. Instead, our energy goes directly to the first chakra where we manage survival and fear. In some ways, this is helpful because it creates energies and physiological responses that can set us into strong action – fight or flight.
One area that commonly we may not have a clear perspective is the people we need to help us. When we hire from the energy of need, we forgo our intuition, hiring someone who can do the job without considering if they are a good fit for the company. Making decisions this way is always a disaster because we look from only one perspective – can they do the job. As we know, we need more than skill sets from our staff. The energy of need in the first chakra causes us to lose this perspective.  “I need someone who can do the job and I need them NOW!”  When we hear ourselves feeling this way we need to stop.  We are in fear.

Operating from the energy of need happens also when we have a staff person who is negative, bored, unhappy with their job, not performing well, causing disruption, etc. but we NEED them. When we are in the energy of need, we believe that we need them to do the job as if there was no one else in the world who could.  This is not true but when we are in need and fear we believe it.  Our life depends on it.   It is always true that letting go of an unhappy or unpleasant employee will improve your company no matter how much you believe you need them.

Hiring and supporting staff that support you and your vision are critical to your success. The common phrase, hire slow and fire fast, is one of the best pieces of advice I have heard. To hire slow gives you the opportunity to decide not only the skills the applicant has, but also how he/she feels to you and what your intuition tells you about how they will represent your brand and fit into the culture of your business. That same intuition tells you that someone on your staff is disrupting the energy of your business as well as the culture and brand you have worked hard to create.

When we are in the energy of NEED, it disrupts our decision-making and distorts our perspective. This blog talks mostly about staff though the energy of NEED can affect any decision that we make. When making a decision take the time to notice the energy you are making it from. If you feel that urgency in your body or the energy of NEED, take some time to step back, calm down, clear your thinking, come out of fear (lower chakras) to find a more neutral perspective (upper chakras).  It will change your perspective and you will make better decisions.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

 

 

Gut Feelings, Intuition & Decisions

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

dreamstimefree_manimaginingCan you trust gut feelings? How is that different from intuition? These are questions that I often get asked. There is a big difference, which is important to note. Intuition and gut feelings are similar in that they are each one of the several intuitive abilities that all of us have. Some of us are more finely attuned to these abilities than others. It is helpful and important to develop these abilities and to use them consciously in our daily life. I know there are those of you who are not convinced though how many times have you said, “I knew that would happen!” Or “I should have listened to myself.”

Energy Centers

There are seven major chakras or energy centers in the body with many minor chakras. Each chakra or energy center has a particular function and ability. For example, the famous gut feeling comes from feeling something with our second chakra located just below the naval.

 Gut Feelings

Gut feelings are the body’s way of saying how something feels to you. It might feel good or not so good. That does not mean that it is or is not good. It is just a feeling. I would never suggest that you make a decision purely from your gut feelings though in combination with other information it is a valuable barometer.

It Doesn’t Feel Right

One of the important ways to use your gut feelings is if something does NOT feel right. I would never go ahead with something that does not feel right. It is often best to stop, gather more information, look behind closed doors, check to see what is not yet visible or known or if not important then simply walk away. If it involves a decision then find out more before you decide on something that your gut feeling says does not feel right.

Knowing for Certain

While we are not going to discuss all seven energy centers in this blog I would like to mention a couple of others that are used most often.

There are times when we just KNOW. We don’t know how we know but we are certain. There is no doubt and we are at a loss to say how we know. This ability to know comes from the crown chakra at the top of the head. It is where our higher awareness is. It is not logical. It is an intuitive ability to know. Decisions are best made from this high knowingness.

Telling the  Truth from a Lie

Finally, clear seeing is ability we experience all the time but may not recognize it as an intuitive ability. Unfortunately we also do not always act on what we see. Clear seeing comes from the sixth chakra in the middle of the forehead, the third eye. It is our ability to read someone or something. We pick up on people. No matter what they are saying we can see what they truly mean or where they are coming from. This is a very reliable form of intuition because it is not emotional. It is seeing clearly. It becomes challenging when we see something clearly but cannot explain logically how we know this information.  As a kid I always wondered why so many people lied.

 Open Intuition

The next step is to listen to our intuition. It can be loud. “Don’t go there!” or it can be subtle, “This does not feel right.”   Intuition is your very first thought or first feeling. It can be fleeting. Within seconds of your intuition your brain kicks in full force to make sense of or be logical about or give an explanation of whatever situation you find yourself it. Far to often we follow our analyzer and ignore our intuition always with a less desirable outcome. “I wish I had listened to myself.” “I knew that would happen.”

Listen

If nothing else start to listen to your intuition – that very first thought or feeling. It lasts a second before it is replaced by logic.   Once you start to listen then it is not replaced and you spend more time connected to your intuition, opening it and becoming more aware of your intuitive perspective. In the ideal world we would use both sides of our brain, using both our logical self and our intuitive self. Until that happens people most often use half their mind and it is unfortunately the logical one, which is not always right. We all know this from life experiences. What is logical is not always the right answer.

Start today and listen.   Become aware of your intuition and how to use it.

Best wishes, Kay

Decision Making Is Overrated

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

beautiful thoughtsWe do not always have to make a decision.  We can make a really good decision or be completely off the mark.  While there is no science to decision-making there are ways to make them better.  We make decisions all the time.  Mostly we do not pay attention because the decision is obvious though not always easy.  We make most decisions without a second thought throughout the day in our personal lives and in our work.

Whose Problem Are You Solving?

It is always important to know when we do not need to make a decision.  Others may place their problem in our space demanding that we decide to solve a problem they have.  Knowing what is our problem and what belongs to someone else helps us in many ways.  That is the topic of another blog.  For this context knowing when we need to make a decision and when we do not is critical.  Knowing our goal comes first then knowing if making this decision is moving us toward that goal or distracting us.

Does It Feel Right?

Decisions based on facts, data, information, advice, etc. that make sense are made easily.  We have no doubt and decide.  Other times the facts, data, information, tell us one way to decide while our gut feeling says there is another.  While I never recommend that we make a decision based on gut feeling (second chakra) gut feelings are an important red flag to stop, step back and reflect because something is not right.  In general if it does not feel right then something is off.

Trust Your Intuition

Step back, check the information and take the time to separate your energy from the question so that you can gain perspective to determine why it does not feel right.  There is always a reason for this feeling.  If you know how to meditate us this to clear your thinking.  When we step back, calm the body, clear our thinking, clear everyone else’s energy and thinking out of our space then we can see more clearly. Listening to our intuition is an important to making good decisions.  How many times have we said, “I knew that would happen!” or “I wish I had trusted my intuition on that.”  This is hard with others are pushing you in a different direction.  Being in touch with your clear perspective and in touch with your intuition about the decision guides us in making good decisions.

Don’t Decide

Sometimes the best decision is not to decide.  I know that is not logical but you know what I mean because we have all had that experience.  When making a decision at that time does not feel right then simply not deciding is the best decision.  It is amazing how many things are solved this way.

Be Certain

The best decisions are those made when we are certain.  If we learn to step back, clear our thinking, release the energy in the body and the emotions, ours and others, then we can see more clearly.  Meditation is a good way to find perspective. Gaining clarity and certainty are the prerequisites to making a good decision then trusting your intuition.

Best wishes on your success,  Kay

Meditation

 

If it does not feel right…

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

One of my client’s is making a serious effort to double her revenue.  Claire was inspired by how easily she increased her revenue by 30% this year.  (She did use the word easy in hindsight.)  With this new goal in mind Claire developed a marketing strategy that takes advantage of all the new ways of marketing.  Most of this plan is out of her comfort zone so she looked for experts in a variety of areas to carry out her plan.

Claire is clear about her new marketing strategy.  She has done her homework.  Her task is to find the right people.  At first she was drawn to professionals she has used in the past and who are loyal to her and her company.  She thinks they could do some of it including her sister who is a professional writer.  Recently a PR expert at a networking event approached Claire.  She agreed to hear what she had to offer.   Finally she received recommendations from myself and other trusted advisors of professionals she may want to interview.

Before she began the process of finding a team she took the time to meditate on her vision of success, which for this upcoming year meant doubling her revenue.  She felt if she could not see this clearly then how could she navigate a team toward this goal.  Claire meditated until she cleared her thinking and could see clearly doubling her revenue.  She then meditated and imagined a team of experts who would help bring in new clients with specific demographics, a team that would work together, enthusiastically and collaborate to achieve her vision of success.

My task was to watch intuitively to see what was driving Claire’s choices so that loyalty did not trump skill and strong salesmanship did not talk her into something that was not a good fit.

As Claire sorted through her options, she used both a logical and intuitive approach.  She checked credentials, looked at samples of everyone’s work, interviewed writers, social media experts, PR professionals, graphic designers, etc.  Her most difficult decision came when her intuition told her not to use the writer and marketing person she used in the past.   This was not a logical decision.  She just felt intuitively that they were not the right fit for the level of growth she envisioned.   Claire did stay with her graphics team who are young, inspired and push her to think in new ways.  They stayed on the team!

The PR person had a strong presence and was very interested in helping Claire increase the visibility of her business but in the end something just did not feel right.  Claire found herself finding fault with the proposal, their communication, etc. then she realized that she did not need to find fault.   The PR company just did not feel right.  It was not logical. She stopped trying to find fault (logic) and simply decided not pursue this strategy at this time. It was intuitive.

Finally, she needed a social media expert.  This is a new and growing field in which an expert is not well-defined.  She decided in the end to interview three of the five people on her list of possible experts.   Her choice of the three was intuitive and she was correct.  In those interviews she found someone who described an approach that fit for Claire and how she saw her brand.

Coincidentally, immediately after Claire and I met to finalize her marketing plan and the team she would be hiring, her phones were ringing off the hook.  Three new-targeted clients called and scheduled appointments.  Claire felt that was a miracle!   From my perspective is was Claire’s vision of success beginning to manifest.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Let me know if you would like an review of your marketing strategy from an intuitive perspective.  kay@insightintuitiveconsulting.com

Apple, Inc. – An Intuitive Business

~ Kay Robinson ~ 2 Comments

This past week Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple stepping out of his role as the chief designer.  Everyone wonders how his genius will be replaced.  It was not his genius it was in large part his reliance on intuition.  Below you will find some of my favorite quotes by and about Steve Jobs.  Feel free to add yours.

Trip Chowdry, a director at Global Equity Research, said, “Success in the consumer space is not dictated by getting your product 80 percent right, 90 percent right, or 97 percent right,” he said. “The success is defined by the last 2 percent of the product, and I don’t think there’s any other individual on the planet who has the kind of intuition Steve Jobs has to make sure they get the last 2 percent right.”

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” [Steve Jobs The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993]

“The cure for Apple is not cost-cutting. The cure for Apple is to innovate its way out of its current predicament.” [Apple Confidential: The Real Story of Apple Computer Inc., May 1999]

In a speech last year at Auburn University, Tim Cook, the new CEO of Apple, urged the audience of young graduates to trust their intuition over logic or plans.  He said it made no sense for him to take a job at Apple in 1998 when the company seemed to be fading.  “But no more than five minutes into my interview with Steve, I wanted to throw caution  and logic to the wind.”

In a commencement speech to students at Stanford University in 2005, Steve Jobs advised, “Much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later.”

“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

He created everything from personal computers to the iPod,  iPhone, iPad and more. Over the course of his career, Steve Jobs has patented more than 300 groundbreaking products that have made our lives easier and revolutionized the way we interact in the world.

“The thing that drives me and my colleagues at both Apple and Pixar is that you see something very compelling to you, and you don’t quite know how to get to it, but you know, sometimes intuitively, it’s within your grasp. And it’s worth putting in years of your life to make it come into existence.” Steve Jobs

“Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

I would like to add that it takes great courage to follow your intuition.  The difference is success.

Best wishes on your success, Kay

Decison Making & Gut Feelings – Right or Wrong?

~ Kay Robinson ~ 7 Comments
chess board
Decision Making

“You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

Steve Jobs (1955 – ) Source: Commencement address by Steve Jobs at Stanford: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

Everyone has intuitive experiences but few know how to use intuition effectively because we tend to talk about intuition as a single ability where, in fact, there are several levels of intuitive abilities.  They are not the same and not useful in the same ways.  For example, the most common intuitive experience is the common “gut feeling”.  A gut feeling is an intuitive reaction to something either positively or negatively.  When we experience a gut feeling it is an indicator that we are on the right track or that something is wrong.

Can You Trust Your Gut?

I suggest that we listen to our gut feeling and use it as an indicator but not a decision maker!  So many times I hear from my clients, “It didn’t feel right. I don’t know why I didn’t listen to myself!”   When something does not feel right it means it is time to step back and take a look at what we are not aware.  What am I not seeing?  What piece of information do I need to find?

Deciding

When I experience a negative gut feeling I don’t decide for or against anything.  For me it is a time to find the missing information.  First I look at the facts and the results to make sure I am not missing something.    Next I meditate. I do this so that I can gain perspective, clear my mind, find neutrality and open my intuition to “see” in my mind’s eye what is really going on.

Levels of Intuition

Intuition occurs on several levels: consciousness, subconscious an unconscious and supra-conscious levels of awareness.  Gut Feeling is the most basic level of conscious intuition.   Most use this conscious level of intuition.  It takes more experience to access the levels that offer more insightful levels of understanding.  It is my experience that those who only access the conscious levels can make incorrect decisions by not sorting intuition from logical or emotional reactions.

Intuitive processes happen very quickly and automatically so it is important to be conscious and aware of the level of intuition you are using so that you do not misinterpret your perception.

Making It Work

Effective use of intuition takes development and understanding of this ability so that emotions, logic, fear, desire don’t interfere.  Any reaction, i.e. anxiety, anger, love, etc. can interfere with clear access to your intuition.  It is interesting to note that these same emotions interfere with rational thought as well.

Meditate for Clear Seeing

For those who want to grow in their understanding of intuition and to use it to grow your success I recommend learning to meditate as a way to quiet the body and clear the mind. In particular I recommend an intuitive meditation designed specifically to open your clear seeing and clear knowing abilities.

Blogs in Intuitive Decision Making

The next three weekly blogs will be on using intuition in decision-making.

Best wishes on your success.



Don’t Give Up Your Goals!

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

You have your vision for the year.  You are enthusiastic about your goals.  Your plans are in place.   It is just about now when the energy hits! You begin to wonder about your goals.  The energy level has dropped or things are not moving as expected.   This is normal so don’t give up your goals.

Each January my gym, and probably yours, experience a sudden increase in membership and participation.  We all complain about equipment not being available but also know that in one month those folks will be gone so we wait it out.  It is worth making this observation.  This happens not only to those who commit to working out  it happens to anyone setting goals.

Change Is Uncomfortable

When we create a goal and have a strong vision of it manifesting our energy changes and our entire universe starts to change so that this new goal can happen.   These changes are most often uncomfortable because change means getting out of our routine and our comfort zone.  When we get out of our comfort zone everything seems unfamiliar and uncertainty sets in.  It is at this point in our confusion that we consider giving up our goals.  Don’t give up your goals.

Old Thinking

A goal  is something that we don’t currently have but we want.  Our energy, thoughts and pictures create our current routine, to manifest our lives and our work as it is now.  To achieve our goals something, and maybe everything, has to change.  Our energy begins to change.  Everything feels awkward and perhaps uncomfortable.  We  also have to change our thinking, which challenges what we know or believe.  During this time we may doubt ourselves.   Finally we have to see our lives, our work and ourselves in a new way, a way that supports our vision.

Not for the Faint of Heart

Change can be unnerving when we aren’t aware of what is going on.  We tend to question our goals and our ability to achieve them when all we really need to do is focus even more on our vision, to observe the changes this vision is creating, be certain, be enthused and ride the storm of change.

As an intuitive business consultant I know that is the time when business owners and professionals decide to commit to their vision or give up.   In all the years I have consulted the reason most do not achieve their vision is because they decide it won’t happen.  It is my perspective that it takes great courage and determination to achieve goals.   Achieving our vision of  success is not for the faint of heart but achieving a vision has a profound impact on our sense of self and our ability to create.  Giving up our goals  creates a different impact.

Intuitive Tips

We call these periods of uncertainty growth periods or periods of growth.   They happen periodically and usually signal that you are taking a big step towards your goals.   When you hit the wall it is important to get energy moving.  This can happen in several ways.

  • Raise your energy level to enthusiasm!  For each of us that means different things.  Take the time to have fun!  Do something you enjoy.
  • Get the energy moving by taking a new step towards achieving your goals so that you don’t back away.  Do something you enjoy and that inspires you.
  • Get communication.  Talk to one or more people who you trust about your goals, the steps you are taking and get their best counsel.

Most importantly  focus on your vision of success, be in enthusiasm and create ways to keep the energy moving know that this period of change is part of the process.

Don’t give up your goals. When you are traveling on the road of  success and a bolder falls along the way, don’t stop.  Climb over it.  Walk around it.   Be certain that you will find a way.

Best wishes on your success.

Gut Reactions Misunderstood!

~ Kay Robinson ~ Leave a comment

beautiful thoughtsWhat are gut feelings?

There are different intuitive abilities. Each of these abilities has their place in our work and our business. The most misunderstood of the seven intuitive abilities is the infamous “gut feelings.”

We all have experienced gut feelings but may be unsure how to use this information. First be aware that I am referring to feelings in the gut. This is not the same as feelings in the heart, the first chakra (fear) or other intuitive feelings.

How to use gut feelings?

Gut feelings are automatic responses to unknown (or unconscious) information or
energy. As a rule, if it feels right, in your gut, then you may feel comfortable in proceeding. If something does not feel right then, it’s NOT. Consider this a red flag! When something does not feel right in your gut, stop, step back, gather more information, ask more questions and gain a better perspective. To gain perspective means to separate from the energy of the situation so that you can think (logically) and see clearly, intuitively.

What creates gut feelings?

At times we feel pressured, or someone is running his or her energy through our space to convince us to do or not do something, to make a decision, and move in a particular direction. When this happens, there is so much of his or her energy in our space that we lose our awareness and our perspective. Stepping back and making separation from this energy is a way of seeing more clearly.

Story of a Business Consultation

One of my clients was about to sign the sale of her business, but something did not feel right. There was pressure from everyone for her to sign and sign now. It took courage for her to stop, step back and review the sale agreement once again. Kathy called with her concern. She felt in her gut that something was not right. I looked at her contract intuitively and saw energy in the last paragraph. With this, she went back to her lawyer to review the agreement again. They found a phrase they did not notice before that was not in her favor. They proposed a change and signed the contract.

Gut feelings are not for decision making

Gut feelings are not for decision making, but they are a red flag to stop and gain perspective.

Once you regain your space and clear your thinking, you can make a more grounded decision. Make a decision based on information rather than responding to energy, pressure or demands.

In general, one should not make decisions based on gut feelings. Gut feelings are intuitive reactions to energy, not fact or information. Gut feelings are one of the intuitive abilities we have for evaluating a situation. Pay attention to your gut feelings. Notice how it feels when you enter a room, in a meeting, making a decision, listening to someone, etc. If it does not feel right, then something is off.

How do you experience or use gut feelings in your work or life?