*Disclaimer
When I was in first grade, my dad agreed to come have lunch with me in the cafeteria one day. As we lined up in the classroom to make our way to the cafeteria, I had this overwhelming feeling of doubt and could say with near certainty that my dad wasn’t actually coming.
It didn’t matter, though, I spent the lunch period scanning the room and watching the door. I don’t know why I know this, I said to my friend sitting across from me, but he’s not coming because he fell off the ladder. She scoffed and told me he probably forgot. I knew better though.
That night at dinner, my dad took his seat next to me and apologized for not making it. You won’t believe this, he started, rolling up the sleeve to his sweatshirt and grinning, but I fell off the ladder! It was then that he showed me a giant scrape that extended the length of his arm from his wrist to his elbow.
Wait, I said, paranoid, did you actually make it and overhear me talking to my friend?
I honestly thought he was pranking me because that’s where your mind goes when you’re seven and gullible.
The truth is, though, from a young age my gut feelings and instincts have been eerily dead on. I’m not into the woo woo magic of things, but I do get a keen sense about certain things (and people), and I’m almost always right about them.
I’m emotional and sensitive and make nearly all of my decisions based on feeling. Some would tell you that’s a recipe for disaster, but listening to my instincts has never steered me wrong.
What’s more impressive, though, are the times I’ve gone against my instincts. The moment the decision is made, I can tell you instantly that it won’t end well, but I won’t be able to tell you why. It’s just a feeling I’ll tell you, to which you’ll likely roll your eyes until you’re seeing it unfold right before your very eyes and then you’re jabbing your sharp elbow into my arm as if to say oh my god how did you know. I just know.
A night I’ll never forget, years ago, I went against my better instincts and it resulted in a night frantically searching Uptown Charlotte with a pair of police officers that ended with us filing a missing person’s report. See. I told you my instincts were good.
That story isn’t really mine to tell, but I will tell you that everything was okay in the end. But a lot of heartache, embarrassment, and anxiety could have been avoided had I just listened to my instincts.
More recently, a change took place with a publication I used to write for. I knew it was coming, and I was totally and completely prepared for it. When it was officially introduced, though, I had a naggingly bad feeling about it. Something just didn’t feel right. Again, I went against my better instincts and then I found myself knee deep in a situation I wish I would have just avoided all together.
I got a belly button piercing the day before I moved away to college. That was strategic since I wasn’t
allowed to get my belly button pierced. Oh, the glory of being freshly 18 and going to college 5 hours away from home. I was diligent about the piercing care (here’s the
guide from UBJ – I might have been irresponsible, but I was irresponsible with a dedication to be responsible 🤪). But my roommate picked on me for it, so despite my better judgement and instincts, I bailed.
I regretted it big time.I can’t go back and change decisions I’ve already made. What’s done is done. But what I can do is promise myself never to go against my better instincts. My gut knows best, and I’ll listen to it from now on.
I'm like this too! As a kid it would actually confuse me because I would know things before they happened, and then I would wonder if maybe I had dreamed it, and that's why it felt so real. Deja vu is such a weird feeling as a kid, you know? But I'm with you-for some reason I STILL go against my instincts, and I almost always instantly regret it.
I am with you on this and I can predict things like this or have feelings about things. I can usually pinpoint where things went wrong too and where I saw red flags or had that feeling and ignored it. We really just need to stay in tuned and keep with our instincts and stop going against them!
I am the same exact way!!
SAME HERE! Seriously, sometimes it's weird.