How Much Can You Trust Your Gut Instincts?
Trusting gut instincts depends on mindfulness here and now.
Thought and feeling can be easy to define when you’re mindful. Conscious awareness, here and now, lets you know what you’re thinking and what and how you’re feeling.
But what about gut instinct? And how is that defined?
For me, gut instinct goes deeper than thought or feeling – and is a combination of both. It’s a certain, instinctual awareness that exists somewhere deep within. I can’t explain in words how it feels, but it’s like an in-depth knowledge of how my thoughts and feelings blend into certain knowledge that simply is.
It’s also something only recognizable in a present mindset. Conscious awareness of active thoughts, feelings, and intentions can put you in touch with gut instinct. But if you’re not aware of your mindset/headspace/psyche conscious self, you can’t know your instinctual self.
There’ve been arguments that humans lack instincts other animals have. I disagree. We’re just so focused on controlling and dominating our environments, we lose sight of our inherent instincts.
And then, just to make this that much harder, trusting our gut instincts can be a very questionable process.
You’ve likely experienced this in your life. I have, and recently. And that’s why I’d like to share this with you.
Allow me to elaborate.
Too good to be true
Last week, someone claiming to be an HR representative of a major company reached out to me via email. They claimed that my LinkedIn profile had caught their eye, and as such, I’d be perfect for a job they were looking to fill.
FYI – the first gut warning was here. They had my name very wrong in the email.
We went back and forth with a few more emails, and then they shared the job description. And it was very nearly a perfect job for me – including an amazing salary.
We set up an interview via MS Teams. It was – unusual. And the whole thing wasn’t a video chat, but a typed chat.
All this was on a Friday.
This led to an offer for another interview with the Head of the department I would be part of. FYI – the second gut warning was here. The interview was happening on a Saturday.
The interview was via a bad mobile phone connection – and the interviewer had a sometimes challenging accent. And here came my third gut warning – he didn’t ask me questions I would expect from someone qualifying me for a job. He largely rehashed my previous interview answers.
Then he offered me the job. Awesome, sure. But with my gut instincts giving 3 warnings, I was skeptical.
I awaited the paperwork and similar info. When the direct deposit paperwork arrived – it didn’t look at all like what I expect from a corporation.
AND – also of interest, the job they were offering me is not listed on the job board they use (I did due diligence here).
My gut instincts screamed at me that this was too good to be true. There’s sufficient evidence to prove that, too.
Good thing I didn’t send the direct deposit form back, right?
Gut instincts are warnings
I am not 100% convinced that my gut instincts are correct, here. There are, however, 2 other nails in the coffin. The first being the over-eager HR person has gone silent, and the other is that my references weren’t contacted. Yeah, at this level, and in this type of organization, and at this pay rate – references are contacted.
There’s a Russian proverb apropos to this – and handling gut instincts overall:
“Trust, but verify.”
Based on my homework and various empirical and circumstantial evidence – it appears I can verify that these specific gut instincts regarding this job are trustworthy.
That’s unfortunate. But – I’d rather that than have fallen prey to this scam and given them access to my bank account (and who knows what else by providing them with my social security number).
My gut instincts gave me warnings. And rather than ignore them – I remained skeptical and wary of my situation. And used mindfulness to investigate.
There’s another excellent example of using gut instincts from The Fifth Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz and Don Jose Ruiz. That’s the fifth agreement itself.
“Be skeptical, but learn to listen.”
When it comes to gut instincts, it’s wise to be skeptical BUT learn to listen. Because your gut will only sound a warning. You must engage conscious awareness, here and now, to observe and work with whatever you’re being presented with.
Gut instincts awaken mindfulness
Trusting gut instincts depends on mindfulness here and now.
The gut will tell you nothing about the past. Why? Because it’s already come and gone.
Likewise, the gut can’t tell you about the future. Why? Because it’s unwritten and uncertain as such.
However, when you are consciously aware – mindful – here and now, your gut instinct can help you discern a present situation that might have a future impact.
For example – had I not listened to my gut and filled out that sketchy direct deposit form – I’d probably be looking at an unexpectedly empty bank account, debts created with my name and SSN, and who knows how many other problems?
Being present, here and now, I made a more informed choice – which my gut instincts opened the way to.
While I am disappointed that this potentially amazing situation turned out to be false – I’m grateful that I was mindful enough to save myself a whole lot of grief. And that came from listening to my gut instincts and mindfully investigating the warnings they provided.
You have the same power to mindfully use gut instincts in your life experience.
Have you followed or ignored your gut instincts?
This is the five-hundred and seventy-fourth exploration of my Pathwalking philosophy. These weekly essays are my ideas for – and experiences with – using mindfulness and positivity to walk along a chosen path of life to consciously create reality.
I share this journey as part of my desire to make a difference in this world and empower as many people as I can with conscious reality creation.
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