Trust Your Gut - Grasshopper

I’ve heard this advice my entire adult life: Trust your gut.

And what amazes me is how often I’ve ignored it . . . despite its nearly flawless track record.

That’s like climbing a mountain to ask a wise guru for advice . . . then hearing the answer and going, “Nah, I got this.”

We all have a gut instinct. Most of us just don’t pay attention to it enough.

Instead, we worship our intellect. We build shrines to logic. We hand out diplomas for being smart. We hire people because of their high IQ.

Meanwhile, our gut quietly sits in the corner going, “I tried to warn you.”

Think about a time when something felt off. Deep down, you knew it. Your body knew it. But your logic talked you out of listening.

So you pushed ahead with your perfectly reasoned idea . . . and ended up getting kicked in the rear.

You’d think that would make us trust ourselves more. But no. We double down on overthinking.

So here’s a thought: maybe your gut doesn’t need to be ignored. Maybe it needs to be calibrated.

Start paying attention to those physical signals your body gives you.

And maybe begin with low-risk situations.

For example: should I give my Social Security number to the foreign prince emailing me about his fortune?

If your stomach tightens up a little . . . congratulations, your system works.

Now think about a time you did listen to your gut and it saved you from tons of trouble. Notice where that feeling shows up in your body. Your chest? Your stomach? Your shoulders?

The more you notice those sensations, the more tuned in you become.

You’re basically strengthening your internal BS detector.

You can even see this in sports.

Watch a basketball player catch and shoot without hesitation. Smooth. Natural. Confident.

Then watch the same player hesitate, overthink, and then fire anyway.

Clang.

Sometimes the rim is just the sound of somebody ignoring their instincts.

You already own a highly sophisticated guidance system. The trick is learning to trust it a little more often.

Because when instinct and wisdom work together . . . your odds get a whole lot better.