Don’t join that person, don’t go to that function, don’t buy that car…don’t go to that doctor. Don’t do this, don’t do that.
Who is telling you all of this?
It’s your ‘gut’. That worm-like thing in our body we call intestines, and its friend that has the shape of an eggplant and stores the food we eat, our stomach.
They tell you what to do and what not to do.
Okay… if these two organs really spoke to us then aliens do exist.
So, what exactly do we mean by ‘gut feeling’? And why should we never ignore it?
Have you ever met someone who you didn’t feel comfortable being around with, or someone who you greatly felt you needed to associate with?
Have you ever gone somewhere and immediately realised that this place is not for you, or maybe it was the total opposite and you thought you should have come here sooner?
Whatever the case, maybe your gut feeling told you. Don’t interact with them, you can’t trust them. Your gut also told you, this is good for you, you will learn a lot from going there.
A few years back during a job interview, I quickly noticed that the person interviewing me was not looking at me while speaking (he wasn’t blind).
I immediately thought this is unprofessional, and his unfriendly tone of voice didn’t sit well with me either. I felt this was a red flag.
If his attitude is like this now, what is going to happen when I start working here? I went with my gut, and didn’t take the job.
This speaker who tells us what to do and what not to do, is not seen or heard.
Yet we listen to ‘it’ whole heartedly. But what exactly are we taking advice from?
I’m sure there is whole science behind it, dealing with in depth psychological and maybe spiritual factors too. But I won’t get into any of that…because my gut feeling told me not to.
So, what is this feeling we have, and strongly trust when deciding to do or not to do something?
It is exactly just that, a feeling.
An abstract idea that has no physical form, and exists only in our mind.
You can’t touch, see, taste, hear or smell it. It is completely invisible to the five senses, but! You can ‘feel’ it. You feel it in your heart.
This feeling or abstract idea is the mental reaction we have to situations, and this is the reason why we should never ignore it. This is what makes us human. We decided in the moment, what is the best decision for us.
Can you recall ever telling someone something like this, ‘I felt something wasn’t right, so I didn’t buy it.’ This feeling is the thought, or again mental reaction that we immediately have, at the time of doing something. It has many names, gut feeling, my intuition, immediate thought and my favourite sixth sense. I’m sure there are others.
Ignoring your gut feeling and brushing away those immediate thoughts you have about a person, situation or event, could just be your downfall.
Whether you get accepted in that university, employed in that company, marry that person or any other important aspect of life. Your feelings and thoughts will impact the choices you make.
About the author: A.N. Singh is from Port Shepstone on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. He is currently studying creative writing through Unisa, as writing is his purpose and passion. At the moment he is focusing on on contemporary fiction. His dream is to become a published author one day.
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