What is this gut feeling? For me, honestly, I don’t know if I would be here if it wasn’t for it. We’ve all had some experience where we walk into a place and feel like we should leave or are there for a while and get this huge urge to leave. I also think that growing up in New York City it becomes extremely important to rely on it. So, if I feel uncomfortable in a place I’m gone. But let me explain what it is to me, so you just don’t think I’m just paranoid.
The year was 2009 January 31st, it might have been 2008 not sure. Anyway, me and wife were getting ready to go to a new year’s party at a bar in NYC. The owners are close friends of mine. As I’m picking out my outfit for the evening. My stomach starts to churn. I sat down in the kitchen and told my wife my stomach hurts. So, I told her, “I don’t think we can go, because I don’t feel good.” As soon as I said those words the pain went away. I held my stomach in surprise and told her it was gone. So, she said, “should we go?” I was about to say yes but then I thought this must be a sign. In these kinds of cases, I rather miss a great party than regret it later. So, we decided to stay home and just watched the ball in Time Square on TV. The next morning Facebook was a buzz amongst my friends. Several of my friends were in jail over a fight that broke out. When they caught some people stealing coats. One of my other friends was hit with a bottle across his head and he had to get stitches. I and my wife were astonished that morning, I felt I dodged a bullet. I’m sure many of you have stories like this.
That case was an extreme case. It usually doesn’t work that strongly, it’s a lot more subtle than that. Usually, it feels like “I shouldn’t go tonight or maybe it’s time to leave. Please understand this has nothing to do with fear.
In the neighborhood I grew up in gut feeling is regarded as especially important amongst my peers. So, I made sure to train that feeling. How can I do that, you may ask? I show you the way I do it, you may find a better way. At the end of the day, it’s all about self-exploration.
· 1st of all any meditation practice will help.
· 2nd seeing the glass as half full, being more positive. Because when your energy doesn’t match you will leave.
· 3rd thing I did was I held my stomach and ask myself several questions and focus on my stomach’s reaction to it. At 1st you won’t feel anything or you might but I did this every night before bed. So, I ask one positive question and one negative question. Example: should I be kind to strangers I sit with that question for a minute or so then I ask, should I be mean to strangers? And I sit with that one. Then I ask the positive one again and the negative. Which one does my stomach like better?
These are the different things I do to train my gut feeling; now remember you can also use it to detect good opportunities as well. Until next week thank you.