Intuition vs. Fear

I hear from so many clients and friends alike: how do I know if what I am hearing is my intuition or my fear? In so many communities of people who are deeply committed to living life fully alive, we don’t want to let fear run our lives, so many of us push past it and conquer our fears and live fully in love.

Or so we think.

I was this person: I had no relationship with my fear, I would take every action in steps towards my fears in order to transcend them. In many ways, this courageous act definitely brought me where I am now, but it certainly did not help me understand that fear is a very human emotion, which serves a purpose.

There is a small amount of fear, similar to “good stress,” which challenges us and helps us grow. This appears in situations that are new and challenging, however we feel we are capable of handling them, which only helps us grow. On the other hand, there is a point where there is an overwhelming amount of fear, similar to “bad stress,” which we do not feel we can handle the situation: this is when it is time to really sit and listen with our fears.

When we listen to our fears in the first situation, we see that we can actually handle what is coming to us, even if there are feelings of uncertainty. This helps promote self-esteem, courage, confidence, and well-being. In the latter situation, feeling deeply overwhelmed can actually do the opposite effect: it can leave us with lower self-esteem and burnout because we have taken off more than we can chew. Can anyone relate to this? I certainly can.

The trick is to listen, and sometimes, when the fear is too overwhelming- which is completely subjective to each person, it may be time for self-care. In these cases, fear is actually a guiding emotion, teaching us to stop and re-evaluate if this situation is good for us. It may not be the right time, or it may not be good for us. When the fear resembles excitement, we often feel that we can handle what life is offering us. From this space, healthy growth can occur.

Fear, as one of the big five human emotions, is still part of our intuitive response to life. When we learn to listen to it, and feel into whether the situation excites us or paralyzes us, is important for listening to our intuition. If you are interested in learning how to tell the difference between the two, reach out here for one on one intuitive guidance sessions!