Vision Coach
Empowering you to realize your vision to enjoy your most authentic life!
Do You Trust Your Gut When You Feel Red Flags?
Our intuition is one of the most powerful ways we can know what is right or wrong for us! The key is to listen to what it is telling you to do. For me, in the past I tended to give the benefit of the doubt to people longer then I should which means I am dismissing my own gut reaction. Our bodies warn us when something is not right usually by a feeling, thought or reaction in the body such as faster heartbeat, gut reaction (literally you feel it in your stomach) or some type of sign to get your attention. Our job is to pay attention to the warning signs so we can respond appropriately.
Your body is a very complex system but can also be your best friend in understanding what is really going on with you. We tend to hold stress in our bodies or even traumatic memories which have been stored up as pain memory. Your body has an automatic survival system that makes you flight or fight in dangerous situations. There is also one more to mention which is freeze! This can paralyze you to the point of not knowing what to do. It is imperative to calm the central nervous system down so you can really pay attention to what is causing your body to react so strongly.
Have you ever had something not feel right but you couldn’t put your finger on it? Have you ever just went ahead with it even though you knew something didn’t feel right only to learn you should have listened to yourself? Right there, is the exact moment to pay attention! How did your body respond? What thoughts were you having? This will be a great way to learn for the next time you are in this situation to avoid going down that same road again.
It’s easy to dismiss these reactions because we want to believe the best in people or not have conflict but in the end we are the ones who suffer. I liken these warning signs as “red flags” that say to us stop! At that point, we need to reevaluate what is going on before we convince ourselves to ignore what we are feeling. Perhaps, it wasn’t as big of a deal the first time you felt it but then it happens again creating this same reaction within you. Maybe you say something to the person letting them know you didn’t like certain behavior or felt uncomfortable but then it happens again! What do you do? Sometimes people go numb to their own feelings just to keep the peace in the relationship but that only hurts you. It is time to pay attention because by not listening to yourself you are only prolonging the inevitable.
In order to get clarity on what you are feeling you need to remove yourself from the situation. Take some time to journal what you are feeling then read it back to yourself. This will give you better insight about the what is going on. Notice what you are feeling when you are in the situation. Ask yourself is this something that I can change? Since we cannot change people it is important to recognize what you can do. If it is not something you can change with setting boundaries then it may be time to listen to those red flags. Another way to gain clarity is to pray and meditate on it. Get quiet within yourself to see what comes up for you when you let go of the situation. Take time to connect with your higher self that knows the truth. This may help gain better perspective on next steps. Discussing what you are feeling with a close friend may also help you hear what you are saying enough to understand the warning signs.
The most important way to be true to ourselves is to honor our feelings. This means acknowledging what we feel when our gut reaction is trying to get our attention out of respect for ourselves. We listen to ourselves by not dismissing our true feelings. Learning to accept ourselves as we are with what we feel is a work in progress. Sometimes we may look back wishing we would have listened to ourselves sooner. Trust there was a lesson to be learned in that situation no matter how long it took. You are exactly where you are supposed to be. Next time, you feel the warning signs you will be able to address it quicker then before because you have grown from that experience. Learn to be kind to yourself when you pay attention to those red flags.
Giving yourself permission to be where you are in your journey helps to let go of judgement. Some lessons just take longer to learn or we find repetition will get our attention. Learning to accept your story no matter how long the lesson took is being authentic. It takes courage to do this. Courage is not the absence of fear but rather doing something in spite of the fear. You have to be brave enough to love and honor yourself to live your best life. If you don’t, it comes back on you as shame, remorse and guilt preventing you from a full quality of life. Make it a point to listen and become aware of those red flags. More importantly, heed the warnings. You deserve the best! You are destined for greatness in this world. Self love will always bring you to a whole, healthier, happier you. Therefore, listen to your God given intuition it won’t steer you wrong. You were designed with a built in warning system for your benefit. Use it!
Something to think about:
Do I listen to myself when I feel something doesn’t quite feel right to me?
Affirming thoughts:
It is ok to listen to myself when I feel something is off with a person or situation. I can take time to reflect on how I need to handle it. I will pay attention to the warning signs in my body. I will honor what is important to me. I will be gentle with myself as I go through this process. I can trust by getting quite that my higher self will guide me. I set appropriate boundaries that support what feels right to me. I am a work in progress. I trust this situation is getting my attention for a reason. I will be gentle with myself as I am going through it. I trust everything works out for my highest good.
Vision Coach 