Because of our conditioning, instinct or intuition is often ignored as less than accurate due to our tendency to place more trust in what we know to be fact or physical evidence. Yet a vast amount of valuable intelligence is available from our own inner world.

“Intelligence” can be thought of as both information as well as smarts.

“Inner World” is our internal stream of thought, consciousness, and ongoing dialog.

Despite our conditioning and upbringings, we can choose to value our instincts by understanding their power, recognizing our own capability to hone our sense of intuition, and by using our instincts on a daily basis. In order to begin this process, it is important to understand some characteristics of intuition (aka instincts).

Common Characteristics of Intuition

• A Sense of knowing something without knowing how you know it
• Insights about your life that are “just there”
• Persistent ideas that you don’t consciously focus on
• Desires that you have that you didn’t consciously create
• Dreams for your life that you would not dare to conjure up on your own
• Insight that feels like it is coming from the depths of your being
• A message or piece of knowledge that seems to come from out of nowhere
• Out of the ordinary bodily sensations

How many times in your life have you made decisions based on past experience(s), only to realize later, that these past experiences you based your decision upon were no longer relevant?

How often have you scoffed at and ignored your intuitive heart in matters because listening to your heart always seemed to be flighty rather than practical and wise?

In most cases, you utilize your analytical mind to make decisions rather than “giving credibility to your feelings and accepting their messages as valid.”

If this is you then it is time to wake up to the fact that your intuitive heart is a very valuable tool, more positive, and a better barometer in providing the kind of information that will allow you to move forward and attain your desired reality.

4 Steps to Trusting Your Intuitive Heart

1. Role: Allow your heart to play a role in matters of career, just as you allow it a significant role in your personal relationships

2. Acknowledge: Recognize and accept that your heart is the center of your spiritual essence. As such, it is the most knowledgeable entity about who you really are at the core and what is right for you

3. Best Interests: Believe that your heart always has your best interest in mind

4. Practice: give your heart a chance by practicing. Follow your heart for simple decisions so that you can build the experience to trust it in larger issues

You now have the confidence you can change your career and design the job you will love.

You have made the commitment to developing your vision.

Effort is the fuel for this development and the quality you bring to your new project. All the pieces are in place-now comes the hardest part that separates those who want to get to their goals and those who want to get to their goals and follow their action plan: perseverance.

Three Steps To Maintaining Your Perseverance

1. Dreams Come True: Be of the mindset that this is your chance to make your dream come true. Working on your dream is more fulfilling and meaningful than working on someone else’s business. Watch your mindset

2. No Room For Regrets: Don’t allow yourself to be side tracked, sabotaged, or completely derailed by any regrets that could arise from not doing everything possible to achieve your dream goals. Learn from your regrets but do not spend anymore time than to learn–the lesson step here is to value the present and the future

3. Challenge Your Weaknesses: Expect anything worth achieving to come with a set of challenges. Most of these challenges will test your weaknesses. Remind yourself that these challenges will be well worth conquering on your way to reaching your goals

Once you have built your confidence and belief in yourself, the next step to shaping your reality is to maintain a high level of commitment toward your vision. Commitment is defined as a “pledge or promise, obligation, engagement or involvement.” It is the glue and strength that holds together an action plan.

Four Steps To Maintaining Your Commitment:

1. Key areas for development: Break your vision down into areas for development.

2. Create step-by-step goals for each area of development. This gives you an instant measurement tool for your progress and a method to chart your time

3. Add detail to your goals by working through each one step by step.

4. Repeat the confidence building ideas above as needed. The process of commitment requires repetition.

If you believe that believing in yourself is a choice, then you must understand how to begin the process. The first characteristic that shapes your reality is your self confidence. But how do you feel confident when you have never done something that feels so difficult like making a life change?

How Do You Build Your Confidence?

1. Increase Your Knowledge and Expertise:

• Take classes at a junior college, adult education curriculum, or hire a specific expert.
• Read books, periodicals, online sources to supplement your base of knowledge.
• Understand that being an “expert” is defined by Websters as “skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject.” You do not have to be a Ph.d; life experience and a willingness to learn will help you become an expert.

2. Practice Your Craft:

Repetition and critiquing your performances are the mainstays of any effort to improve. By seriously practicing, being mindful of quality, and relentlessly striving to improve you will become an expert and build your confidence in the process.

3. Offer Your Work for Free:

Give free workshops, tutoring, mentoring, or offer your resources to businesses. The key to offering your work for free is the priceless feedback and experience you gain from this activity.

4. Find a Mentor:

Look for someone who is successful in your niche. Surround yourself with positive people. Allow their positive habits to rub off on you. Make the commitment to expand your base of friends and acquaintances.