Well, folks, it’s the first blog of the month again. Is it just me, or is time speedin’ up? Seems like Fourth of July was just yesterday, and here it is, September. Yikes!
It’s the ninth month, so we’re focusing on Chapter Nine of my book, Finding Your Inner Moose. This one’s called “Listening to Your Inner Moose,” and is about intuition. I know, kind of woo woo, but basically it’s all about listening to your senses and trustin’ what they tell you. Sounds simple enough, but problem is, when your head gets involved, it makes it harder to hear your inner voice.
My husband Charlie says it best. He has a little section in each chapter called “Straight Talk from the Barcalounger,” and this one’s titled, “Go with Your Gut.”
“If my head’s telling me one thing and my gut another, I go with my gut. The way I figure it, my gut’s bigger than my head, so it must be right. Your head can talk you into anything. Been there. Done that. But your gut doesn’t lie. If more people paid attention to their gut, the world would be a better place. I’m just saying.”
Smart fella, my Charlie! Now, for me, a tip off that I’m not following my gut is hearin’ myself tell other people the reasons why I’m doin’ something. “Yup, I decided to do thus and such because of blah, blah, blah. And it really makes sense because of a, b and c.” If I’m doin’ this over and over, it means I’m trying to convince myself I made the right decision. When something feels right, I don’t need to explain it.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t consider the pros and cons of doin’ this or that. By all means, go right ahead. It’s part of makin’ a good choice. But after you make that decision, if you’re still debatin’ it, doubting it, talking about it ad nauseum, you’re in trouble.
That said, why does it take me so long to notice I’m doin’ this? Usually, by the time I wake up to the fact, it’s too late to put the brakes on. Bottom line: if you’re saying one thing and feeling another, pay attention. Those feelings are your inner voice telling your head to stay out of it.
When you’re uncertain about what to do, here’s a way to make that hard decision easy. Imagine yourself going for it, and spend a day seeing how that feels. Havin’ fun yet? Then imagine yourself not doing it. Any better? Go with the one that feels best. If you can’t tell which one feels best, then the options are so similar, it doesn’t really matter which one you chose. Select one and move on. Don’t waste any more time on it.
So this month, I invite you to listen to your inner voice, then follow through. Your gut may not be as big as Charlie’s, but amazing things will happen if you give it a listen.
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
IDA’S PODCAST: Go With Your Gut
Coming up this fall:
September 12: Book Reading, Cumberland County Retired Educators, 12:00pm, Portland, ME
September 14: Ida: Woman Who Runs With the Moose!, ACT ONE Festival 2013, 2:00pm Portsmouth, NH
September 14: I Married an Alien!, ACT ONE Festival 2013, 8:00pm, Portsmouth, NH
September 19: Book Reading, Yarmouth Historical Society, 7:00pm, Yarmouth, ME
October 9: Book Reading, Raymond Public Library, 6:00pm
October 10: A Visit With Ida, York County Retired Educators 50th Celebration, 1:30pm, Wells, ME
October 11: Book Reading, Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library Literary Luncheon, 12:00pm, Boothbay Harbor, ME
November 1: I Married an Alien!, Merrimack College, Rogers Center for the Arts, 7:30pm, North Andover, MA
November 6: Keynote, The Moose in Me, The Moose in You!, 7th Annual Statewide Caregivers Conference, 9:15am, Concord, NH
November 16: The Best of Ida, Ogunquit Performing Arts, 7:00pm, Ogunquit, ME
November 30: Book Signing with Rebecca Rule, Kittery Trading Post, 11am-2pm, Kittery, ME
December 16: A Visit With Ida, Huntington Commons, 2:00pm, Kennebunk, ME
For details, please check out the schedule page on my website: http://www.idaswebsite.com/schedule