I have taken pride in being a rational and logical person for most of my life. I am able to process a problem by looking at all aspects, doing the research and logically coming to a conclusion. Only in the past few years, as I’ve grown spiritually and created a life aligned with my values, have I realized how much intuition has always played a part in my life and decisions.

I am good at standardized tests and never dreaded tests like the SATs. I had a method in high school, which was to approach each problem carefully, evaluate my options after I had calculated or decided my own response and then choose the correct answer from the form. The moment of truth would come when I had completed a section of the test with time to spare. Confronted with a chance to review my answers and make corrections, I had to contain myself. Somehow, I knew that my first instincts were best and that I would only reduce my score from that point forward.

While I would never have known to call that intuition then, I realize that is exactly what was happening for me and this instinct to listen to my intuition was the reason I was good at standardized tests.

My intuition today is very powerful, and it is also a conscious tool that I appreciate and actively encourage. I allow the small voice I hear or the tingle I feel up my legs guide me in what direction to take. As I have allowed myself permission to be more creative, I have seen stronger guidance and intuitive processes appear.

A perfect example comes in the form of how I manage my email inbox. I receive a large amount of email everyday which I rarely have the time to adequately process and evaluate. How have I tapped intuition to handle one of our most pervasive and technologically advanced mediums?

To begin, I look through each header in my email inbox. I allow my intuition to choose what I will open and read. I do this by acknowledging my own limitations, be it time or energy. I set an intention that I will deal with the most valuable to my personal mission. I then pick and choose what I will open.

I am always amazed by what appears. Opportunities to speak appear just after I had declared a desire to participate more fully in a particular community. Referrals that I had heard were coming toward me leap through the Internet into my screen.

My eyes and my heart guide me to the appropriate notes, and my body tells me what I am most responding to. I am no longer afraid to delete an email, worried that I may need it later or that I am throwing away an opportunity. I can feel if it will be important and save it. Or sense the emptiness and just let it go.

This reason I share such a prosaic example with you is that most people think intuition is a woowoo skill; a form of magic or meditation tool only accessible to a guru. I would hope more people try to apply intuition in their lives. The next road trip you take, allow your inner voice to suggest what route you should follow. Be more tuned into what movie to see or what person in your life needs a phone call from you.

My intuition is most powerful when I am doing something creative. Whether I am writing, painting glassware or stringing beads into jewelry; the thoughts that come through in those moments are usually spot on. It seems the more I can go into the zone of the present, the more energy flows to me. It helps if I consciously think about a person, an issue or an idea before I begin my project, but then release it to be present in my creative flow. As I work, a thought will pop up or I will realize I just dialed a phone number without consciously getting up for the phone.

Every person will find their own experiences with intuition. By allowing yourself to be open to the concept and begin paying attention with a heightened awareness to what your inner voice and sensations are saying, you will find that a more complete and tune-in life awaits you.