Intuition or Limiting Cognition? : Personal Growth Tips to Help You Know the Difference
By Amy Phillips-Gary

Have you ever felt an urge to do or say something out of the ordinary?

Maybe you listened to that urge and ended up pleasantly surprised. Or, perhaps you listened to that urge and found yourself in a situation or place that was right in line with what you were worrying about in the first place-- not pleasant or desired at all!

It can be tricky to really know the difference between a guiding impulse that is coming from intuition and an urge that, instead, comes from a thought-- or cognition-- that is limiting.

Our fears and lack-oriented expectations can pop into our minds in the guise of "inner wisdom" and lead us astray if we aren't tuned in and paying close attention.

Recently I re-watched the late 1980s movie "Field of Dreams." In the film, Kevin Costner plays a Ray, a farmer in Iowa. One day, as he stands tending the corn in his fields, he hears a voice call to him: "If you build it, he will come."

Ray ignores the voice, jokes with his wife and daughter about it and loses sleep over it. The voice doesn't give up! Finally, a vision of a baseball field right in the middle of his corn crop accompanies the words.

And so begins Ray's weird and wonderful journey to plow under a significant portion of his crops and build a baseball field on part of his land.

If you've seen the movie, you already know that "they"-- meaning baseball players from just before the 1920s who were banned from the game-- did indeed come and play ball on Ray's field.

Along this fantastical journey, Ray faces inner doubt as well as apprehension and even derision from others. He takes financial and emotional risks and he is never assured that this will come out okay in the end.

But he does it anyway.

Which voices should you listen to anyway?
Perhaps you've never heard actual voices in your head as Ray did. You may, however, have felt a pull or a strong impulse to make a different choice than you usually do.

Sometimes this pull leads you toward outcomes that are pleasing and expansive for you. Other times, they don't appear to be positive at all.

Quite often, it can become confusing to really determine whether the impulse you are called to follow is truly intuitive or if it comes from something else.

There is a significant difference between intuitive inner information and the thoughts or beliefs that derive from fears, anger, desire for escape or other urges.

For example, when I set out on daily walks in my neighborhood with our family dog, there are many routes to choose from. Along each possible route, there are particular dogs, outdoor cats or other distractions that tend to drive our pup wild.

When you are trying to walk a 90+ lbs. St. Bernard, this can be a challenge!

Sometimes, I am drawn to take a particular route for our walk. When I listen to those guiding impulses, it is usually a smoother and less distracted (for our dog) experience. Even if we meet up with another critter, when I am on a path that I felt called to take, it is usually easier to control our big pooch.

But when I try to avoid "trouble" and am fearfully anticipating that certain dogs will be outdoors, I almost always get what I expect...trouble. These moments are undoubtedly not driven by my intuition, but come from my fears and insecurities instead.

As you might have already discovered from your own experiences, when your actions are driven by worried, fearful or lack-based impulses, you often end up in the unsatisfactory places that you've been before-- or maybe even places that seem worse!

On the other hand, when you trust an intuitive pull, just about every time you feel improvements. They might not come immediately, but the steps you take based on the call from your intuition moves you closer to where you want to be.

Practice differentiating and trusting.
In order to tell the difference between your intuitive 'voices" and those others that are based in such things as fear, lack, anger or escape, it is essential that you pay attention.

Start to notice the emotions and your overall mood that accompany a particular compulsion.

The way that you feel is key!

If you find that your primary motivator at the moment seems to be fear, frustration or even anger, I don't necessarily recommend that you immediately take action. Instead, be with the way that you are feeling.

Try to better understand from where this impulse is coming. It might be something that you do want to carry through with at a later time. But it would probably be beneficial to wait until you are in a more positive-feeling place to do so.

Intuitive voices usually occur alongside feelings of excitement, eagerness, thrill and often a sense of certainty or knowing.

Of course, as certain as Ray in "Field of Dreams" was that he had to take action and build that baseball field, he also encountered moments of doubt, worry and mistrust.

This can make for a confusing ride.

When those doubts arise, return to your inner self. Take a deep breath and see if you can tap into those excited and eager feelings. Remember why you chose to follow your intuition in the first place.

As long as you can tap into that reservoir of hopefulness and vision from within, it is probably wise to continue along this path. If not, you might decide to make changes and alter your course or to pause and take no further action for a period of time.

Practice tuning in to your guiding impulses in everyday moments such as when you are driving your car and choosing streets to take toward your destination.

Notice how it feels to act on a worrisome urge as opposed to an intuitive pull. How do the outcomes usually differ?

Following your intuition can seem like handing over the reins of control to your life. This is uncomfortable for many people, including me.

Keep breathing and tuning in to the way that you feel.

When you take action and listen to an intuitive voice, recognize the effects. This noticing can help you to trust in the process and to know that we all truly do live in a benevolent and supportive Universe.
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Amy Phillips-Gary is a freelance writer, a homeschool mom and a personal growth adventurer.