Be Smart. Be Brave.

There’s a lot to be said about a person who listens to, adheres by and acts according to their gut. For a lot of us, that gut feeling isn’t enough to make a decision. We need facts. Research. The probability of something bad happening. So we exercise restraint when it comes to our most valued decision‐making assets: our intuition.

When was the last time you made a choice that resulted in something negative? Maybe you took a job opportunity that you thought would pan out differently ‐ even though you had a feeling that it may not be a good idea.

As women, we are the masters of ignoring our gut and instead going with our heads. And as a business owner with a financial practice, I understand that there is a time and a place for using your head over your heart when it comes to help with money. I practice conscious spending for myself and I teach that to my clients. But I also stress the importance of aligning your spending with what’s in your heartspace.

Let’s say that you got a 10 percent raise at work and you’re not sure exactly what to do with it yet. If you’re going with your head, you probably will save all of your raise in an investment account or add it to help with debt you want to pay off. If you’re going with your heart, you take the entire thing and devote it to your passion: a new business, a hobby, your kids or your family, your ailing parents, or your favorite pair of shoes.

Both of these options are great because you are doing things with your money that are adding value to your life. But what if I told you there was a way to combine both of those things ‐ your heart and your head ‐ that will be aligned with your intuition?

Consider dividing that raise into three parts: your past, your present and your future. That way, you can get out of debt while saving for the future and still living in the present. So what does all of this have to do with listening to your gut? Well, it’s simple. This is a way to examine what’s happening in both your heart and your head, combining them, and pursuing what is best for your emotional and practical sides.

Action step

In my practice, I’ve noticed that many of us are not only disconnected with our money but also ourselves. Our desires. Our dreams. Our truths. It’s time to reconnect with what’s most important. Spend time this week alone, in silence and with yourself. Turn off the television. Leave your iProducts in the other room. And just sit with yourself. Listen to what your body, your spirit and your mind is telling you that it craves. Write down the things that resonate with you, anger you, hurt you, make you cry.

This is an exercise is getting to know that gut feeling that many of us have suppressed or belittle for so long. Get back in touch with trusting your first thought and feeling your first feeling when you’re in unusual situations. And finally, when you are totally at one with what you really think and feel, celebrate it. Today’s world numbs us to what we truly desire by bombarding us with things we are supposed to want. After you’re finished with this exercise, you’ll take solace in knowing that you are being true to your gut and ‐ as a result ‐ to yourself.

Like this blog? Share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.  Also, be sure to sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter Financial Consciousness. And join the conversation on Facebook where we’ve grown together and act as a community to promote financial healing.

The post Be Smart. Be Brave. appeared first on Julie Murphy.