Are you psychic? I mostly wanted to get your attention with that question. But there is another reason I used it as well. The word psychic really repels some people. There are a lot of negative beliefs about people who are "psychics" like they are fake, unstable, weird, scam artists, etc. Psychic ability can be misused as can any other ability. And it can be used for the highest good. Maybe it's time to move beyond the negative connotations of "psychic" - which may be limiting you - and look at what being psychic really means. When you do that the word itself becomes irrelevant - you can call it whatever feels most accurate to you.

Let's get right down to the simplicity of what "being psychic" really is. Being psychic is simply 1) trusting your own experience, 2) focusing and paying attention and therefore being highly aware of what is going on within and around you, 3) tapping into your inner wisdom, and 4) using the benefits of your intuition in your life and business. It is easy to imagine how doing these things could enrich both your life and your business. The focus of this article is intuition.

WHAT IS INTUITION?

Intuition is an inner knowing. The word intuition is derived from the Latin intueri which means to see within. Intuition is natural - everyone is born with it. It is a spiritual gift - that sometimes still, small voice of love and wisdom that guides YOU in the direction of your highest good. Intuition is your sixth sense and your most important one - It transcends your other senses and includes information from all of your senses, all you have ever learned, plus wisdom and guidance from sources you are not even be aware of.

Intuition is also an experience that almost always has a physical component to it. Sometimes intuition comes as a hunch, or a gut feeling about something. I get what I call "niggles," little niggles that are ever so gently pulling me toward something. Niggles tend to keep coming back for awhile, while a hunch may be of the moment. Other experiences may be a tickle in your throat or some sensation in your body - an inner knowing is felt. You might also notice your energy increasing or decreasing, feel as if you are opening up or shutting down. All of these experiences are telling you something, offering wisdom and guidance in some direction.

And intuition is a skill. It is a skill in that it gets stronger the more you use it. Using intuition means listening to it and following its guidance. This next statement is important: Intuition is not supposed to be reasonable. So it's really best to simply go with it, take some action on it without trying to figure it out. If the purpose is not immediately apparent, it will be. Developing a strong partnership between your intuition and your thinking mind will enrich your life and work beyond any current measure. When someone asked Einstein the secret to his success he said, "It is the result of intuition, an inner knowing."

USING INTUITION IN YOUR BUSINESS

Intuition is a highly evolved business skill that can greatly assist your success. Intuition is most powerful when you first notice it - that is most often the time to take action. Fast Company Magazine has called "acting on intuition" the number one trend that will change the way we work and live.

Making decisions is one key area in which entrepreneurs can benefit from intuition. Highly successful CEOs regularly use intuition when making major decisions. Entrepreneurs and business professionals are faced with making decisions every day, often without having all the facts. Intuition accesses an infinite supply of information and wisdom. Following the guidance and wisdom of your intuition can shift you from indecisiveness, uncertainty, or worry to confidence in making decisions that will enhance the quality of your services and products, your ease of operating and your profits.

Another key area where intuition can be effectively used is in connection with prospective clients. Most of you, in retrospect, can probably identify intuitive experiences when first meeting potential clients. You've probably had at least one experience of knowing right away that a prospective client was not right but took them on anyway. Or maybe you've unconsciously followed your intuition with such prospects by not returning their phone calls or following up leads. It takes courage to turn away clients, especially when you are in a building phase of your business. It also takes trust. Both courage and trusting your intuition will serve you, your business and the other person.

FITNESS AND RELATIONSHIP TRAINING FOR INTUITION

Intuition is an innate gift. However, if it doesn't feel natural to you just yet, take some time to get to know your intuition. There are a few simple ways you can create an intimate relationship with it. You'll think of more as you go along.

1. Relax - intuition happens. Relaxation creates an ideal condition for intuition.

2. Meditate - a meditative state is a very receptive state.

3. Ask for intuitive messages at highly receptive times such as a) before going to sleep, b) before meditation and c) before journaling.

4. Spend time in nature - nature flourishes from the guidance of its own inner wisdom and primes you to tap into your own.

5. Use your imagination consciously - it has been said to be the playground for intuition.

6. Pause for regular intuitive check-ins with yourself.

7. Develop an intimate relationship with your body - intuition most always has a physical component.

8. Keep an intuition journal - keep track of your hunches, nudges and intuitive awareness; also keep track of which ones you acted on and which ones you didn't and notice the results.

FORMULA FOR INTUITIVE SUCCESS

Decide! Expect! Trust! Act!

Make a decision to be intuitive - it's simply choosing to use a powerful gift that you already have! Expect intuition! When you expect intuition, you can relax and let it happen, and it will. Trust your intuition, even if you don't initially understand it. The more you trust your intuition, and that it is always in your best interest, the more it will come around. Act! Acting on your intuition is evidence of your trust. It's your part of the relationship. Over time, it becomes second nature. And you will come to see the benefits of following the guidance and wisdom of your intuition.

Your intuition is a delicious gift, a spiritual muscle, a skill, and it is the most natural thing in the world. Using your intuition as a way of life and as a way of business will transform both into rich and thriving experiences. When we rely on the guidance and wisdom of our intuition, life takes on an effortless quality, and we find ourselves in harmony with others and the circumstances and events in our lives - we are in the flow of life!