A deserted path through the forest in Taipei, Taiwan.

(Neil Wade Photography– *This hauntingly beautiful photo, depicted in my own personal imagery, matches exactly what the path of personal intuition must look like…darkness with flickers of lighted hope)

Dear Reader:

No…I am not suffering from short-term memory loss…I do realize that I just talked about the origins of intuition in man and its significance in our lives…it is just that my intuitive heart yearns to connect with others in this search for the path we are to follow.

My wonderful family “brother,” Bill Dingle, sent this insightful response to the first post on the topic of  intuition, yesterday, that I want to share with you. (He nailed the essence of the meaning of intuition with one word…Something)

“Last night during our family devotion, I told the children that one of God’s names is “Something, “because often we say, “Something told me to do (or not do) such and such. God is always speaking if we will listen and obey, right away, first time. LOVE to all! BLESSINGS!”

How true! And “Something” is a God Wink…a foundation phrase behind this blog. Don’t we waste so much time in life trying to listen or be influenced by other people’s opinions instead of separating ourselves from the crowd and following our own personal path of intuition…our own “road less traveled?”

It really is a choice of listening to the brain or the heart…Are we trying to control our lives by listening to societal “experts,” even meaningful friends…instead of listening to our own Divine Spark… God-given within us?

I know my excuse is the loneliness of the path…I love people and doing things with other people…not so much by myself. My garden has helped me in this respect…forcing me to take time to nurture nature within my own set boundaries…and not others’ perimeters.

Once again I call on Mary Oliver…to put this in the perspective I need to come to grips with…while gathering the courage to find my own way with God’s guidance leading me. (I hope her prose speaks to you also…or if not…find a voice that does speak your feelings…it helps eliminate feeling isolated in this intuitive endeavor. )

The Journey

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice – 

though the whole house 

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug 

at your ankles.

“Mend my life!”

each voice cried.

But you had to stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy 

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night, 

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

I continuously doubt myself when it comes to following my intuition but I have suddenly realized (from the perspective of an ole’ history teacher) that the “famous” people we now study and look up to…had their doubts too when it came to making some of the most important decisions in their lives by following their own intuitions…many times against popular opinion.

Leaders aren’t considered great because they are filled with absolute certainties…great leaders are born out of doubt…the doubt that humbles them and then requires them to find the courage to overcome their inner doubts and misgivings…as they  follow their own path to greatness.

So until tomorrow….Let us all listen for the new voice we begin to hear… along our less traveled path…our voice…through God’s voice.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*How I delight in the sun dividing its rays/energy among the slants in the shutters in the “Happy Room.” All is takes is for one shutter to be a little off for the rays to skip a slant. And the final result…the most beautiful imperfection…so much more interesting than perfection.

It reminded me of the Leonard Cohen quotation Anne drew for me…