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My favorite definition of intuition came from a 15-year-old girl I know who said, "Intuition is where, like, you know something, but like, where did it come from?" I believe that intuition is a reliable inner resource for wisdom to guide our lives. Fortunately, everyone has it, and we are capable of developing it for practical use in everyday life as well as for discovering and achieving life goals.

Learn to listen to your intuition and learn from it by tuning in to these four cues.

1. Inner Voice
Many people report a "still, quiet inner voice." Your intuition will always communicate with you in a compassionate, loving manner that is perceptibly different from your normal inner chatter. If your inner voice seems quiet, try asking yourself a question like "What is the best course of action to take?" Pause for a moment and then think about all the options you've just been given. Does any one leap out as the best decision? If not, go deeper and ask the question again. A new answer may emerge. Write your results in your journal. Then, jot down three small action steps that can you take that will move you in the direction you chose.

2. Dreams
You can receive a wealth of guidance when you learn to ask for intuitive insight from your dreams. Our minds are still active and racing with thoughts while we sleep. As we replay our daily anxieties in our dream state, we are sometimes given answers and solutions to our problems. Often, these answers are revealed to us through symbols. A few years ago, I was torn between staying at my full-time job at a software company and leaving to devote my energies to my own business. I was still thinking about my decision when I drifted off to sleep one night. I dreamed that I was out on a lake with my feet planted in two different canoes both pointed in different directions. I knew then that I couldn't pursue both vocations and have the energy to realize my goal. I gave my notice the next day and haven't regretted it for a moment. Here are some ways that you can tune in to your dreams and get the answers you need:

Write a few paragraphs about your concern or problem.
Try to summarize the issue in a question, and state the question to yourself as you drift off to sleep.
Before you become fully awake in the morning, ask yourself, "What is the answer to my question?"
Sometimes you may remember a specific dream and feel that you have your answer in the dream's symbolism.
You may not remember the details of the dream but you may feel that you've awakened with an intuitive answer to your problem. That's an equally valid way of receiving intuitive guidance in your sleep.

3. Emotions
Intuitive information often comes through your feelings or emotions. You may simply "feel right" about a certain course of action. Or you might experience a sense of distrust about an individual or situation. Part of learning to trust your intuition is remembering to ask, "Does this decision make me happy?" or, "Do I feel energized by this decision?" There are many ways to ask the question and experience the answer but here's the truth: Your intuition will provide you with information to make positive choices. Would it make sense for you to be sent to earth with a magnificent inner guidance system and every time you trusted it you felt awful? No!

4. Physical Sensations
The Japanese call intuition "stomach art." We call such sensations a "gut feeling." You might find that your body feels heavy if a decision you've made is wrong. Your body may feel light or experience "chills" if it is the correct path for you. Here's an example of how these sensations guide us: You've just been offered the "perfect job." You notice that when you think about accepting the position your body feels heavy or there's a knot in your stomach.

If you feel physically uncomfortable when you think about the job, your intuition is imploring you to consider your choices. You can ask more questions and do more research about the position and the company to see if you can determine the cause of your intuitive response. Or, you can understand that your intuition is warning you away from this company for reasons you may not comprehend on a rational level. Intuition may lead you to pursue other opportunities based on those physical sensations. How many times have you ignored signals your body gave you only to later say to yourself, "I wish I'd trusted my gut instinct?"

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Copyright © 2002 by Lynn A. Robinson. To publish call Intuitive Consulting and Communication at 1-800-925-4002

Lynn A. Robinson, M.Ed., has been featured in the Boston Globe and has been a guest on many radio and television programs throughout the country. She is the author of Divine Intuition, an Amazon.com "best book of the year," and the "Intuition@Work Expert" for iVillage.com, one of the Internet's most visited sites. As an intuitive business consultant, she offers companies insights that help them with their goals, decisions and strategies. Her clients include small to medium size businesses as well as Fortune 500 companies. She also presents keynotes on "Intuitive Intelligence in Business." www.lynnrobinson.com.