Signs can come from everywhere, anyone, and anything.  Here are a few of the more common types.

Signs Can Come to Us by…

Radio… The obvious example is hearing a song that reminds you of someone or something.

Books… When I need an answer, I often close my eyes, randomly open a page of A Course in Miracles, point my finger, open my eyes and read. It’s usually just what I need.

Messages from strangers… About my pending move to L.A., I heard the words Los Angeles said 5 times by 4 different strangers in one day.

We’ve all heard and probably said it millions of times, “That’s a sign.” What does that mean anyway?

A sign is an external message from our intuition, God, the universe or whatever we want to label it, trying to tell us something.

Signs can be…

• A validation.

• An encouragement.

• An indication we are in the flow.

It’s like our intuition doesn’t want us to forget or move on, especially if we are constantly being bombarded by signs.

Or Signs can be…

• A way to gently tell us that we are NOT in the flow and must change directions.

A coaching client of mine, Diane Bolden, shares a story how she got the courage to quit her job and start her leadership coaching and consulting business.

Take a look at our new video series On the Road to Real. It is full of ways to become aware and tap into your intuition.

If you want one-on-one help using your intuition, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery consultation & coaching session!

By Vickie Champion

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Does it seem like only yesterday since you put the finishing touches on your screenplay?  Have you made lots of Hollywood contacts and many friends since your move to Los Angeles?  Are producers approaching you wanting to take a look at your script? 

Intuition has been defined as a knowing. Others describe it as a gut feeling or a sense they get. Scriptwriters who operate from their intuition notice that they have very little stress, get more done in less time, and achieve better results. Here’s some signs you are making use of this valuable tool.

Does it seem like forever since you wrote your screenplay?  Did you pack up and move clear across the country to Los Angeles hoping to make lots of Hollywood contacts?  Have you gotten plenty of advice from the experts and still no one wants to look at it? 

Try listening to your intuition and for you guys, gut instincts. You know, that inner voice that has all the answers all the time if you would just follow it. Here’s some signs you could really benefit from using this valuable tool.

If you find yourself…

• Constantly having obstacles to overcome.

I know this sounds crazy, but getting your script read is easier than you think.   Sure, it’s great to live in the heart of Los Angeles, have a great concept, fully developed characters, spot-on dialogue that has been rewritten to perfection, have famous and high powered contacts in Hollywood, have the best literary agent, or have won a Nicholl Fellowship… but it’s not necessary.

All you have to do is tap into your intuition. Your intuition can be defined as a gut feeling, a sense or a knowing.  Following to your intuition help you overcome any obstacle, get your screenplay read and produced and most of all, make the process enjoyable.

When we’re not in the moment we may lose track of time, but instead of feeling our time was well spent we wonder where it went.  Seconds, minutes, hours, years:  let’s make them count by more fully claiming our experience. Pause from time to time and observe. Are you living in the moment? We know we are not…

When we...

• Daydream

• Are on auto-pilot

• Judge

• Have attachments to the outcome

• Are afraid

• Think we know the answer from past experiences

• Don't have enough time

• Get impatient

Focus and delight collide when we’re in the moment. So does wonder and understanding.  And peace and clarity. We may have spent decades spending our lives thinking about the past thing or the next thing, but it takes very little effort to learn to stay in the moment.

When we want to be fully present, we can...

• Be aware of our thoughts about the past or the future. Train your mind to bring your thoughts back to the present moment. I tell my mind, "Thanks for sharing, but I'm only concerned with right now."

Our ability to be fully in the moment requires our willingness.  Our willingness to regularly bathe in it, inhabit it and ALLOW it. What we receive from staying in the moment and being open to everything that arises from it are gifts.

When we are in the present moment, we can...

• Have an amazing experience.

• Feel enormous amounts of appreciation.

• Respect everyone and everything.

• Understand the real meaning of love.

• Feel free from fear. 

• Release worn out habits.

• Hear clearly our intuition. 

• Feel extremely connected.

When you’re in the moment, time is not an issue. Effort is not an issue. ‘What’s next?’ is not an issue. It’s being in harmony and it’s the way you were meant to live your life.
 
Being in the moment is…

• Becoming engaged in whatever we're doing - completely.

• Developing a different perspective of the present moment and taking in all that it has to offer.

• Not something we make happen, it is something we let happen.

• Something we experience.

Not being in the flow is about pushing, instead of allowing. It’s about controlling, instead of listening. It’s about resenting, instead of receiving. How do you know you’re not in the zone? You feel it. You feel frazzled and worn down from fighting one obstacle after another. Where do those feelings come from? Read on.

We’re NOT “in the Flow” When we...

• Play phone tag.

• Have misunderstandings with people.

• Misplace items.

• Have freak accidents.                         

• Get confused easily.

• Work hard and get very little done.

• Try unsuccessfully to contact someone.

Living in the flow is not so much a destination as a way to get wherever you’re going with more ease and joy.  Tapping into the flow is a way of moving through life with more energy and zest and less anxiety and lists of shoulds & coulds.  The flow puts you in touch with everything you need and helps you to pass on by what you don’t.  It’s an easier way to live.

Here are some things that can develop and fine-tune our ability to "Be in the Flow"...

1. Establish the intent to "be in the flow."

We all want more of those delicious moments when you seem to wake from a place of total contentment, ease and joy. What was that? It was called being in the flow. And you didn’t wake from it, it’s the way your reality really can be. It’s possible to experience being in the zone moment to moment – to flow from one thing to the next. Being in the flow is not an out there concept. In fact, you probably experience flow more than you think. One way to cultivate more flow is simply to recognize the state of being there.

Being in the flow is easy, relaxed, involuntarily. It happens without thought. You've experienced this flow before and probably not even know it. It happens when you're watching TV with the family, finding yourself out enjoying nature or being "in the zone" at work. You are happy, calm and alert. In other words, you are in a state of non-resistance. Work is less of a struggle, relationships are more harmonious and our emotions and desires are working together.
 
A natural synchronicity is occurring. We meet the right people at exactly the right time, we get the good parking spaces and money is coming to us more easily.

Don’t get stuck with exhausting, traditional ways in finding your dream job. Don’t waste any more time! Jump out-of-the-box. Try listening and following your intuition or gut feelings. 
 

Four Steps to Using Your Intuition to Find Your Perfect Job are…

1. HAVE A WILLINGNESS 
The most important requirement in tuning into our intuition is the willingness to hear the answer. Nothing more.

2. GET TO NEUTRAL
Next we have to open up and let go of our judgments. Release what we hold tight to as what we think is the perfect job or the wrong job. There are several ways to get to neutral but one of the easiest is through this affirmation: "I'm a ready for my ideal job and I don't care what it is." Repeat it until you believe it.

Determining if it’s our intuition can be a tricky thing. Sometimes there is such a fine line between the answer that solves all our problems and complete paranoia. Then there are times our intuition throws us a curve and surprises us.
 

Here Are Ways to Tell if Our Intuition or Inner Voice Is Speaking to us …

Our intuition…

• Comes in a whisper or a glimpse. To me it’s a calm statement or a quick peek, a matter-of-fact.

• Keeps gently reminding us. The message will not change and it will keep repeating over and over -- sometimes for years.

When people hear what my specialty is, they proudly comment, “I’m good at using my intuition.”  Then as the conversation progresses they start telling me about how difficult some of their relationships are, how they don’t have enough money, how they are unhappy in their job, and how they are coping with their illnesses.
 
I really don’t think most people realize that if we really listened to our intuition and followed it all our problems would completely disappear.
 
Here is a test to see How Often you Listen to Your Intuition or Gut Instincts?
 

After one of my workshops, a woman approached me. I asked her if she liked the workshop. She replied: “Not really, I don’t believe in intuition because I’m a Christian.” Her answer caught me by surprise. What does being a Christian have to do with intuition? It didn’t make sense to me until I remembered what one of my bosses told me years ago, “The key to understanding anyone’s view or anything new is to first be open to learning the terms for it, then connecting the dots is easy.”
 

Here are 22 Ways to Describe Intuition….

          1  A knowing.

Here’s what Vickie Champion talks about in this video…
 

INTRODUCTION

 
Hi! I’m Vickie Champion. I am a business and life coach who helps people listen to their “intuition” or “gut feelings.”
 
This is one of the videos in a series called “Is this your Intuition?” One of my assistants will describe a common scenario and then ask you if the person used their intuition or not? Then I’ll tell you my answer and explain “why” I came to that conclusion.

Share this:

Here’s what is talked about in this video…
 

INTRODUCTION

My name is Vickie Champion and I am a business and life coach who helps people get out of the fear and use to their intuition or gut instincts.
 
I thought it would be fun to let you hear from one of my coaching clients who had a decision to make and used his intuition, Jeff Taylor.  He is blogging about his experiences and can be found at http://www.MyInnerJourneyToHappiness.com/. Here’s Jeff’s story.
 

Here’s what is talked about in this video…
 

INTRODUCTION

My name is Vickie Champion and I am a business and life coach who helps people get out of the fear and use to their intuition or gut instincts.
 
I thought it would be fun to let you hear from one of my coaching clients who had a very interesting example about using our intuition. Here is Diane Bolden who is also a leadership coach and the author of “The Pinocchio Principle” with her story.
 

Here’s what Vickie Champion talks about in this video…

INTRODUCTION
Hi! I’m Vickie Champion. I am a business and life coach who helps people listen to their “intuition.”

This is one of the videos in a series called “Is this your Intuition?” One of my assistants will describe a common scenario and then ask you if the person used their intuition or not? Then I’ll tell you my answer and explain “why” I came to that conclusion.
 

A COMMON SCENARIO- CHOOSING A HOTEL

Here’s what Vickie Champion talks about in this video…

INTRODUCTION
Hi! I’m Vickie Champion. I am a business and life coach who helps people listen to their “intuition.”

This is one of the videos in a series called “Is this your Intuition?” One of my assistants will describe a common scenario and then ask you if the person used their intuition or not? Then I’ll tell you my answer and explain “why” I came to that conclusion.
 

A COMMON SCENARIO- ACCEPTING A JOB

Here’s what Vickie Champion talks about in this video…

INTRODUCTION

Hi! I’m Vickie Champion. I am a business and life coach who helps people listen to their “intuition.”

This is one of the videos in a series called “Is this your Intuition?” One of my assistants will describe a common scenario and then ask you if the person used their intuition or not? Then I’ll tell you my answer and explain “why” I came to that conclusion.
 

A COMMON SCENARIO- MAKING A CONNECTION AT A NETWORKING EVENT

Here’s what Vickie Champion talks about in this video…

INTRODUCTION
Hi! I’m Vickie Champion. I am a business and life coach who helps people listen to their “intuition.”

This is one of the videos in a series called “Is this your Intuition?” One of my assistants will describe a common scenario and then ask you if the person used their intuition or not? Then I’ll tell you my answer and explain “why” I came to that conclusion.

Most of us forget to trust our “intuition” or “gut instincts” with simple things like finding a boy/girl friend. It usually means the difference between having a difficult relationship that is more stressful than it’s worth or finding a relationship that is pleasant, low-maintenance and amazing.

Whether you’re on your first date or have been dating for some time, one of the easiest ways to detect a great relationship is to pay attention to the flow. Below are some simple ways to know if you’re heading for a difficult, ho-hum or disastrous relationship.

12 Signs Your Date is NOT Perfect for You:

When you…

Are you one of those who want to be right at all costs? Maybe you get your thrills from always having problems to deal with. Or perhaps you think all this woo-woo is nonsense? Then I don't need to tell you the benefits of ignoring your intuition, gut instincts or inner voice. You probably think this list is NORMAL and the way LIFE IS. I know -- I use to be you.

This blog is for those of you exploring other ways to live, like I did several years ago.

Here Are Some Benefits of Ignoring Your Intuition:

You...

Do you wake up in the morning feeling secure, confident and excited about all the good experiences the day will bring? Are you watching yourself become a better person every day? If so, you must be using your intuition.

Intuition is described as a knowing, a gut feeling, an inner voice, an awareness, a hunch, a gut instinct or a sense.

Here are Some of the Benefits of Using Your Intuition:

When we use our intuition...

• We don't need to make sacrifices to solve a problem.
• Stress, anger, and resentment disappear.
• Obstacles fade away and we get in the zone.

It seems like the world is getting a little crazier. There are natural disasters from earthquakes to volcano eruptions, angry political rallying and celebrity affairs that get weirder with every news report.

Trust your Intuition
One of the ways to start feeling safer is to stop putting all our faith in the experts, government, laws, and anyone or anything out there that is promising us security. Instead, let's start trusting our gut instincts. You know, that silent voice or knowing inside that can quell our fears, pull us out of any jam in an instant, and solve any situation without hurting any one. I call it my intuition.

I had a discussion last week with my editor, Sonja Haller, and we got onto the subject that was interesting to me since most of my business and life coaching clients are women. We came to the conclusion that women often give up on meditating before they begin. Sonja just wrote a blog on "Why Women Can't Meditate" and I want to share a couple of her thoughts.

Women feel...

• Guilty when they take time to do nothing. And meditation -- at least at first -- feels like doing nothing.

Take notice of when happenings go along smoothly with no struggle at all and very little, if any, effort. When we listen to our intuition or inner voice the path is easy with no obstacles. We might say we’re “in the flow” or in a state of “natural synchronicity.”

An example of NOT “being in the flow” is:

Before attending a breakfast meeting with a customer did you oversleep after a night of tossing and turning, drive on the most congested streets, wait for a parking spot and have your customer forget about the meeting?

I was glancing at the book Your Sixth Sense by Belleruth Naparstek the other day and came across this interesting information about those that easily use their intuition, gut instincts, gut feelings, or inner voice. She interviewed 43 extremely psychic people with solid reputations and a good public track record. Many shared the same health issues, family dynamic and talents.

Typical Characteristics of the Intuitives she Interviewed were:

• A woman in her mid-40s
• Parent or grandparent who displayed psychic abilities
• Some degree of two-handedness or two sidedness
• Being an only child

Do most of your work days run smoothly? Do you feel you are lucky in business? Either your business is happily thriving in this economy or you’re excited to reinvent your business because of it. You must be following your intuition.

Intuition has been defined as a knowing. Other people describe it as a gut instinct or a sense they get. Business owners operating from their intuition notice that their productivity is up, their stress down and that their dreams are coming true.

Here Are Some Other Signs You ARE Operating Your Business Using Your Intuition:

If you find yourself…

Are you one of those business owners who do everything the hard way? Maybe your bottom line is decreasing but you are reluctant to change.

Our intuition can be defined as a gut instinct, a sense or a knowing. Intuition can fix any business problem, eliminate stress and difficult situations, increase productivity, give us the ability to achieve our dreams and most of all, make the process enjoyable.

Here Are Some Other Signs You Are NOT Operating Your Business Using Your Intuition or Gut Instincts:

If you find yourself…

• Spending your day solving one PROBLEM after another.

We’ve all heard about meditation as a way to stay in the moment.  But we can learn to be present in any situation, any time of the day, anywhere with anyone without meditating. An easy opportunity to practice being mindful of the present moment is through travel.

Here’s How to Stay in the Moment When you Travel…

• To be in the present moment the most important thing you can do is release thinking you KNOW what’s going to happen on the trip, when it’s going to happen, how your traveling companions are going to act and how you’re going to react when something does happen.

Believe it or not there are conditions that actually activate our intuition and make it easier to hear intuitive answers.

Are you ready to awaken your intuition, gut instincts, or inner voice? Here are 9 ways:

1 Taking a Shower -

There’s something about warm water beating on your body that releases those intuitive insights.

2 Commuting -

Whether we travel by plane, train or automobile, the commute often gives enough quiet, reflective time to recognize intuitive answers.

3  Brainstorming -

When we bounce ideas around with other people and allow ourselves to open to new possibilities our intuition slips in perfect ideas.

What’s so great about releasing the fear? Every aspect of our entire life would improve tenfold. First, we could hear our intuition or gut instincts so that it could guide us in the decisions we make every minute of the day. When that happens, we could find the perfect job. We could see our relationships with significant others, our children, our clients and ourselves turnaround. By releasing the fear, we could have what everyone wants: we could be HAPPY.

Here are Some Signs We’re Releasing Fear…

When we find ourselves…

• Not taking SIDES

What's so bad about being afraid? Lots! Worry, doubt, and fear causes us to act in ways that get us in terrible situations. Fear causes illness, financial problems and conflict with others.  Fear lowers our self-esteem, and most of all, causes us to remain unhappy.

Here are Signs we Might be in Fear...

When we...

• Are STRESSED, UPSET, ANGRY or RESENTFUL.
• Want to CONTROL the situation.
• Want to PROVE something.
• Find ourselves confronting a lot of OBSTACLES.
• OBSESS. Replaying a situation over and over and thinking about how it could have been avoided, what will happen because of it, what needs to change to fix it and who's to blame.

With everything changing so quickly, it's easy to become paralyzed with fear. People are losing jobs, entire industries are disappearing overnight and when you go to your favorite coffee shop for a little escapism in the form of a latte, you find it closed. For good.
 

To Get Rid of Fear and Worry Try One or a Combination of These Suggestions...

1  Make a Plan-

Sometimes the best way to get rid of fear is to have a Plan B waiting.

2 Decide to Fully Participate-

Often we get afraid when we're not giving 100 percent.

Most people do not realize or consider the emotional and practical impact fear has on our daily lives and businesses. Yet fear impacts everything from our personal relationships to our self-esteem to our health and that of our company’s bottom line.

Think fear is your own private, locked-away misery? Let’s consider all the ways that fear is cutting you off from your intuition, sacrificing your happiness and causing conflict in your life right now?
 

FEAR CAN CAUSE US TO…

1. Not pursue our DREAMS or not know what our DREAMS are
2. Feel LOUSY
3. Not SLEEP well

The Anatomy of Gut Instinct

We’re under more stress than ever before as the economic meltdown has affected everybody in some way or another. We are losing jobs at a record clip. Entire industries are becoming extinct overnight.  Families are being forced from their foreclosed homes. Because of these hard realities, relationships with family and friends are suffering and so is our mental, emotional and physical health.

Everyone is feeling confused, lost and afraid. It’s hard to know what direction to go in. So now it’s more important than ever to rely on your intuition…