Fear vs. Intuition: How To Tell The Difference
Hey – did you get your ticket to Rich Happy & Hot LIVE in October?
If you plan to be there, don’t “wait and think about it.” Tickets are moving faster than we expected, which I’m beyond grateful for.
Now onto today’s video which answers a hugely important question.
How do you know the difference between when you’re out of your comfort zone (which often kicks up some major fear) vs. when your gut is telling you NOT to do something?
This is really important because, as you know, fear is normal and needs to be moved through. It often indicates that an opportunity is ideal for you.
But intuition, on the other hand, rarely steers you wrong and signals alarms that can save your butt, big time.
If you’re confused, don’t worry. Because in this video you’ll learn two, no-fail strategies to instantly get your answer. These simple techniques will help you make the **right choice** for you, every time.
Marie’s Tweetable
In the comments below, I’d love to hear your experience with this topic: fear vs. intuition. Of course, if you have any other strategies that work, let me know.
HEADS UP– We just confirmed two amazing sponsors for Rich Happy & Hot LIVE – both women run and owned companies that make delicious treats: one super healthy, one super decadent – both involve chocolate. As if you needed another reason to come…
With sand-in-your-bikini summer love,
xo
Diggin' this content? Sign up for updates…It's FREE!
- Tweet
- Pin It
{ 134 comments… read them below or add one }
I totally agree! It is so important to be aware of your body’s reaction. Whenever I feel happy butterflies mixed with fear I know that it is something I need to do. Fear always comes along with anything that makes you grow or stretch outside of your comfort zone.
Reply
I think you were reading my mind Marie. I just has this same conversation with Kris Ward! Thank you for posting. I love your stuff, yo’!
Reply
Thanks Heather
Reply
Fear vs. intuition is a great topic Marie. Thanks for the great insights on expansion and contraction.
I’ve noticed in my life that decisions based on intuition are not forced, they feel natural. I’ve been in situations where a job fell right into my lap, or didn’t take much effort at all. In other situations where I had to work much harder to make things happen, eventually the situation didn’t work out. Looking back, I realized that the more force I used to make something happen, the more fear based it was.
I recently moved from NC to AZ after 17 years in NC. It was scary to leave with just a car load of stuff and a dream. I had all sorts of challenges right before I left. I was wondering if the Universe was giving me a sign not to leave. My intuition told me that it was the right thing to keep going forward, overcoming fear, even though everything didn’t make sense. So far, I’ve had a much better life in AZ and am happy that I’m here.
Your head has a lot of questions, your heart has answers. Fear is in your head and intuition is in your heart, what you know is true. It takes faith to work through fear and follow your heart but eventually, you’ll come out ahead.
Most everyone knows of a situation where someone was in a relationship that wasn’t working. The person’s fear of being alone was over-riding what was in their heart, or what they knew intuitively. Eventually, when they let go of the fear, they realized they had much more energy propelling them forward. Those kinds of things are at play in all areas of our lives when it comes to fear and intuition. We need to pay attention to how we “feel” about situations vs. what we “think” about them.
Reply
Nice Maryellen. I like “Your head has a lot of questions and your heart has a lot of answers.”
Reply
; )
Reply
Thanks for sharing, together with Marie’s video which is great, it’s very clear and I think we need to learn and practice to listen to our intuition, how we feel. Even our head is screaming at us that we are insane, our heart remains in total peace, sustained, which gives us the strenght and power to keep walking forward whatever we chosed to do or not to do.
Reply
Hi Maryellen,
I was moved by your story of leaving NC alone, with only your packed car and a dream. Women are so courageous in facing life. I just wanted to acknowledge your fortitude to create something different for yourself. Carrie
Reply
That was a bodacious question you got! Perhaps Steve Pressfield owes you a commission b/c I did buy his book after your interview with him. What an amazing guy! The book is awesome and helped me see where I needed to work on some of my own secret projects. Take care!
Reply
Thanks Laura – I actually LOVE pimping out Pressfield because I’ve learned so much from him. Glad to hear you have too!
Reply
Just JUST recorded a video for my blog on the fear vs awe difference. I’m really digging deep with this distinction right now. Seems to me that fear is always a directive- but we way too often assume that directive must be stop…when in fact it often is GO.
Love considering also that any time we step into a place where we are (or may possibly be) holding significantly more energy or potential or space there is discomfort until we get used to the new level we are on. So growth necessarily has some of that discomfort – fear- unknowing around it.
LOVE how you added the piece on how to read the difference- thank you so much!
xoxo Lisa
Reply
The gut never lies…
Every time I’ve tried to talk myself into something that my gut was telling me wasn’t right, it never works out and I find myself wondering, why didn’t I just listen?
I’ll be keeping myself aware of the expansive vs contracted feeling
Thanks Marie!
xo
Reply
Exactly Poulin.
Reply
Love it Marie!! Thank you!
Reply
Love the video and the import distinction you make between feeling expansion and contraction!
Also, quick correction: Your tweetable doesn’t give Steven Pressfield’s correct Twitter handle. It should read:
The more important a project is to your soul’s evolution, the more you’ll resist it. @Spressfield (via @MarieForleo)
So important that he – and you! – get the credit for such an awesome quote!
Thanks again!
Reply
Thank you Stacey! It takes a village and we’ve got that corrected now
Reply
This is a hugely helpful vlog Marie.
For me, learning to listen to my body was a huge big leap in my own personal development journey. It’s not that it wasn’t speaking to me before, it’s just I wasn’t listening! Now I make an effort to tune in- I know exactly when I am stressed and need to stop, when I’m feeling strong and energised. I wonderful book the goes into depth on the mind/body connection is The Trance of Scarcity by Victoria Castle.
Just regarding the power of intuition and how to access this, readers might also be interested in my latest blog, HOW TO MAKE A DIFFICULT DECISION EASY? www.bethreacher.com/?p=371
Reply
I just thought about you, it was going to four and I had not seen your Q&A and I was like where is she, my intuition I guess. I really needed this at this time, I am at the point where I feel this is what I should do, but then there is the question of I want one that can bring money fast. I am all churned and mixed up. So this is great to know and I can feel some contractions on projects I want to force on myself….
Thanks
Reply
I’ve loved this exercise since you first introduced it in RHHVM. It’s one of my favorite tools to use for virtually anything! Even, cleaning the toilet…that’s why someone else is doing it for me! lol
xoxox
Melody
Reply
First of all, thank you for your Q&A Tuesdays–I look forward to them every week. Secondly, I LOVE your dress! You look fantastic. Might I ask who makes it?
Thanks!!
Reply
Hey Jen! Thank you. And that dress is ALL Top Shop
Reply
Great tip. It is tricky as we have not been taught to listen to our own guidance system but with practice and a few mistakes we can finally learn to trust our intuition.
Another tip: intuition is soft and guides to our highest good. Ego or the “little pain in the ass Goblin in our head” is loud and annoying.
Shut that little fucker (I can swear on your blog Marie, right?) and intuition will come through.
Reply
LOL. Yes, you can swear all you like
Reply
Great video Marie! Thanks! I’m seeing so much relevance with the fear factor these days…
xoxo
Tisha
Reply
This was a great video!! And love the Steven Pressfield quote. One add to all this about Fear….(and another great quote). Fear is learned – so from Marie’s Expansion and Contraction strategy. Use the feeling from those Contracted Fears and size up your bodily reaction so you can quickly recognize “that feeling” (hint: it feels really crappy) when they happen and you can expedite their dismissal and silence their delay tactics. And trust yourself (Expansion Feeling) – Quote: When you trust yourself you will know how to live (Goethe) – See you in October!!!!!
Reply
I freaking love this video!!! I was just explaining intuition to a client and in my last blog post and it is all about how the body reacts. Expansive and contracting is an excellent way to categorize the way your body will respond. Love, love, love. As for #2, it is so unbelievably true. Being a part of mastermind and getting feedback from my trusted lady friends and YOU, has made me realize where my passion really lies. Love this video. xo
Reply
Funny…My mom was a junk yard dog!
Reply
Hi Marie,
I love the s**t out of this video and I’m dying to share it with my Facebook friends but….when I post the link the image for ‘Make Every Man Want You’ comes up next to the link and I’m uncomfortable posting that on my page. Is there a way I can share it without the book cover?
Thanks and keep ‘em coming!
xo
Jasmine
Reply
Hey Jasmine! I’m pretty sure you can share the straight link + FB usually gives you a way to post without the image or scroll through until you find another
Thanks in advance for sharing!!
Reply
Hey Jasmine!
There’s a checkbox when you go to post a link that let’s you choose to post it with “No Thumbnail” – pick that and it won’t show any image.
Reply
Anyone have the link to the Steven Pressfield chat? I missed that one
Reply
Here it is Nia! marieforleo.com/2011/04/1-book-planet-entrepreneurs-creators/
Reply
So, my six-year-old was sitting right beside me as I watched this… and her comment at the end was, “Why was that little beep her mom? Is her mom a beep?”
Followed by my standard answer, “Hmmm… I dunno. Maybe she is. Now go play.”
Reply
Expansion/Contraction, inhale/exhale, universal/personal. Love it.
First of all, see you at RHHL, got my spot (in fact accidentally paid twice, thanks for fixing)!
Second of all, in NYC there is a phenomenal living Sufi master who teaches Dancemeditation (Juliard trained, has taught at Princeton, Barnard, etc) and a whole in-the-body meditative practice that is firmly rooted in this idea of expansion and contraction. A little more from her directly here: blog.dancemeditation.org/2008/07/06/journal-crafting-expansion/
All that to say, thanks for connecting business to the body, where more of us need to be spending our time. And thanks for reminding me the ticket to RHHL was a damn good decision. Sweet.
Reply
Yes, I loved both Stephen’s books. They gave me the kick in the A** I needed earlier this year.
The idea of expansion/contraction is great way to discern between intuition and fear. Just like falling in love, it scares the crap out of you but you are excited at the same time.
Reply