Working with intuition, not fear

By Carlie Currier

October is a time for harvesting. Nourished by the warmth of the sun, summer was a time for growth within. While sowing the seeds of our goals, we thought deeply about what we wanted to manifest within our lives. Now the season of fall calls for a new phase in our growth--the fruition of our dreams into reality.

However, we need to be aware of exactly what we’re harvesting. Ghosts and demons also come out in October. Are  we allowing our higher selves to shine through so we can reach our full potential, or, are we letting the superstitions and phobias of our past dictate us? Maybe some of us are still allowing skeletons to hide inside the closets of our comfort zones. Is fear a good or bad thing? In what ways does it guide us or hinder us? And most importantly, how can we determine when our intuition is speaking over the limiting voices of paranoia, anxiety, and worry?
   



Photo courtesy of Feng Shui Dana



Fear can be a warning that protects us from unwanted events, keeping us from feeling awkward, anxious, incapable, and embarrassed. In other words, if something feels scary, then maybe we’re just better off not doing it. We classify irrational fear with ideas like superstitions, phobias, and paranoia. But what exactly makes a fear “rational” anyway? Those must be the helpful kind that keep us out of trouble.

           

Spiritual teacher, Teal Swan, describes intuition as “an immediate insight or understanding without conscious reasoning”. She explains that the sensation of a sign from our higher self feels much different than a message from ego-based fear.  Fear is filled with strong emotional charges, whereas intuition feels neutral, even when receiving “bad” news.



Although some think that being intuitive is reserved for psychics and other spiritual types, Swan states, “Though we may shut out the messages we receive from the higher self, the higher self continues to give them, so it is impossible to completely lose the ability to be intuitive.”
    

Gut reactions, those messages from our inner voice, are opportunities for growth. They are blessings in disguise that work on the potential shadows within ourselves. In her Youtube video, “Intuition vs. Fear”, Swan includes instructions on how to determine the difference between ego-based fear and our intuition. If we need to make a decision, she encourages us to act as if we’re being guided solely by our fear centers. In other words, if we’re developing negative feelings like anxiety and dread, we should assume that the emotional charges indicate ego-based fear. As the saying goes, “Whatever resists, persists.” Being unconscious of our motives for being afraid, will allow fear to continue. But the more aware we become, the less power it has over us. When we’re able to accept and embrace the ego, fear dissipates and gives way to our higher self. True intuition will reveal itself.
   

For example, if someone is trying to make a decision about whether they should pursue graduate school, there may be many fears attached that have been deemed rational by society, such as financial concerns, worries about being too old, and how it would affect career or family life. When they think about it they may experience physical symptoms, like a tightness in the chest, or an upset stomach. If they are aware of these sensations, they can be labeled as fear. However, sitting with that anxiety for some time provides the proper energy for intuition to shine through. After the emotions have calmed, a still, strong voice tells them that they’re meant to pursue graduate school after all. This shift would prove that the negative emotions were self-sabotage, a protection of the comfort zone. Swan said that sometimes our intuition will remain aligned with the original fear-based thoughts, and that is ok, too. What matters is that we’re able to make that distinction.

October chills in the air come with chances for transformation and growth. We’ve spent the summer planting seeds of possibilities for the future, and now’s the time to harvest the fruits of our visualizations. Instead of hiding from the ghosts, ghouls, and skeletons of our past, we need to embrace fear as a tool. In order to escape our comfort zones, we must shift old thinking patterns and habits that are motivated by ego to protect from imaginary threats. So here’s to fall, a season that’s bound to bring not only changes in the color of the leaves, but huge transitions in our lives.



Photo courtesy of One Bold Move

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