photo credit: Mara ~earth light~
1. Trust – Yourself that is. Find your “internal compass” and use it.
2. Be Quick About It – Intuition is fast. That first thought that pops into your mind after you ask a question is your intuition speaking to you. Try making decisions quickly – it will give you less time to doubt yourself.
3. Be Still and Quiet – If you talk to yourself all day, then your intuition can’t get a word in edgewise. Practice being still and quiet and then hold that with you as you go through your day.
4. Allow Yourself to Be Pulled – You don’t always have to be the leader. In fact, if you feel yourself being pulled somewhere strongly, just go with it!
5. Suspend Judgment – Your intuition doesn’t care what seems logical. Allow yourself to go off course, there are some really cool things out that way!
6. Remember Your Success – When you have “followed your gut” in the past, has it ever failed you? I don’t hear a lot of people saying “Above all else, never trust your gut feeling.” 
7. Stray From the Path – From time to time, stop looking straight ahead and look to both sides. If you see something that attracts you, go!
8. Feel Your Feelings – Intuition usually hangs out with “excitement”, “energy”, and “passion.” If you find one, you usually can find the whole crowd.
9. Don’t Hesitate – If your intuition tells you something, don’t let that message sit around gathering dust. Self-doubt and confusion are both attracted to that dust.
Any other quick tips for developing your intuition? Please share your ideas in the comments!
photo credit: quapan
It’s tempting to think that as time moves forward, so do you. You grow further as a human being, more of your goals are fulfilled, your career gets better, your relationships get better, your life becomes “more and more.”
But the reality is that sometimes you have to backtrack (this is always a little frustrating). Or something off to the side catches your eye and you go to explore it. At others times you walk around in circles longer than you care to admit (and probably don’t even know it at the time!). And still, at other times you feel stuck so you sit down right where you are and don’t move for a bit.
Even though you could say that life always moves forward, forward doesn’t always mean straight ahead.
Forward can mean backtracking.
Forward can mean getting sidetracked.
Forward can mean circling around.
Forward can mean sitting still for a little while.
As frustrating as it feels to not be moving in the straight line you think you should be, these “diversions” are usually necessary.
Some of my best moments have not happened on the “straight line”, but happened when I had to turn around, or make my way through the brush, or stopped to sit and think because I felt stuck.
This is surely something I haven’t seen the last of, and although I can’t say that I look forward to these times, I think I become a little more accepting of them as I walk a little further. 
How do you deal with the twists and turns of life when you wish you were going straight ahead? Please share your thoughts in the comments!
photo credit: eva101
“In ancient times cats were worshiped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” ~ Terry Pratchett
Cats are peculiar. They can be aloof, hiding underneath the bed or ignoring you as you try to get their attention. They walk around the house as if they own it, going about their business as they please. Sometimes, we are not sure what to think of this behavior.
But, there are a few things we can learn from the feline lifestyle. I share my house with two cats, and after observing them daily for nearly three years, I can tell you that there are some things that cats excel at that we humans are maybe not always so good at.
1. How To Take A Nap – Of all the cat activities in a day, this is probably the most glorious one. When a cat naps, it does so with all of it’s being. Sinking into slumber midday, possibly curled up in a little ball or stretched out on the floor, or, my favorite, twisted up with legs facing up and chin on the floor (don’t ask me how they actually get into the position, but somehow it looks comfortable), this is true unconscious joy right here. If you need to relax, watch a cat sleeping.
2. How To Schedule Their Daily Activities – A cat knows work/life balance well. Sometimes, it’s time to run, chase, stalk and hunt. Other times, it’s time to nap, lay around or just sit and stare out the window. Each activity gets their full attention. As we would say, they are very present in the moment.
3. How To Be Still – There are times when my cats will walk to a spot on the floor, crouch or sit down, and do nothing. No running, no climbing, not even really any looking. Just being still where they are. I think the lesson here is – if there is nothing to do, then just do nothing.
4. How To Be Playful – It’s not really in their reputation, but cats are silly. One of my cats climbs up the cat tower to the top and then turns upside down, hanging his head through the entrance hole to the top lounge area, with his legs grasping the sides. Cats have a way of being light and free and playful.
5. How To March To Their Own Drummer – Cats do not do things because you want them to. They do them because they want to. Whether that’s running up and down the stairs, sitting in the window sil, hiding in a secret spot or sitting in your lap, they do what’s best for them at that moment. Not to say they never think of anyone else, because cats are quite affectionate, but they know what they need to do. And they do it.
Anyone share their home with cats? Lessons learned? Please share in the comments.
photo credit: kevindooley
If you want the answers, you’ve got to ask the questions. You don’t have to ask them all. Just answer the ones that “call out to you.” See where they take you!
Find Yourself By Asking The Right Question
- Why?
- What has gone well?
- What has not gone well?
- How do (did) I feel?
- What do I fear?
- What motivates me?
- What are my goals?
- What do I want for my life?
- What do I value?
- What am I really good at?
- What is challenging for me?
- How do other people see me?
- What do I enjoy?
- Where am I dissatisfied in my life?
- Where do I get energy from?
- What takes energy away from me?
- How do I most want to contribute to others?
- What do I love to do?
- When do I feel alive?
- When do I feel the most “natural”?
- What do I hesitate to admit about myself?
- Where am I meeting resistance right now?
- What do I most want to create?
- If I was brave, what would I do?
- What are my dreams?
- What are my best gifts?
- What have I always wanted to try?
Have a question to add? Leave it in the comments!
photo credit: Per Ola Wiberg (Powi)
There is something that happens when we look back at the past.
What actually was becomes a little blurry. Maybe that’s because we weren’t paying careful attention at the time, or maybe the specific details are just difficult to remember. Maybe we have reasons for not wanting to recall things exactly as they were, or maybe it’s that great mystery of the Universe – Time – just doing it’s job.
What we see when we start to remember is distorted a bit. Only we haven’t distorted it in an ugly way. It’s not deformed or strange. In fact, it has become much prettier than it ever was when we actually lived it. Prettier, but still distorted.
When we access our memories they are covered in a glossy sheen that surely wasn’t there at the time we actually experienced these things. It gets added somewhere between time passing and our brains recovering this information that has long passed. The more time has passed, the glossier.
It seems to me that sometimes we enjoy our memories more than we do the actual experience of life. Because memories can be…enhanced. Just like a magazine cover that has been “touched up” a bit, we can remove that bit of shadow on this part, cover up this blemish over here, blend this in better up near the top, and make the whole thing brighter overall.
Yes, it’s still based on our life experience, but this is a much more palatable version of that experience.
Maybe we like our memories better because they are like art – beautiful, based on perception, a polished product. And our experiences are more like walking through the mud – messy, slow, and ungraceful.
Even mud can look beautiful on a canvas.
Do you find your memories to be “enhanced” when you view them? Please share in the comments.
photo credit: Vali…
A little while ago I wrote an article on the INFP personality type. This is a follow-up/companion to that article. These are ten helpful and active INFP resources that I found while exploring INFPs on the internet. Hope you find them useful! (Oh, and they are in no particular order.)
Resources for the INFP!
INFP Blog – From the “About” page, Corin writes “This blog is my thoughts on being an INFP and how I interact and deal with the “real” word. Hopefully, you’ll find it amusing.” As one of the only blogs I found totally dedicated to INFPs, this is a great one to check out if you are interested in some thoughtful insights and helpful recommendations for living, working and having relationships as an INFP. Some of my favorite posts on the sight include: “Speaking INFP” and “Myth of the Soulmate.”
INFP Facebook Group – This Facebook group for INFPs has 4,129 members and has an active wall and discussions. Looks like a great place to meet and talk to other INFPs. (Thanks Velanche!)
INFP Forum at Personality Cafe – Have a question about being INFP? Or want to know if something you do is very typical for INFPs? Then stop by this forum. From the mundane to the poignant, all of your INFP questions and discussions go on here.
INFP Twitter Lists – Corin of “INFP Blog” also keeps a comprehensive set of INFP Twitter Lists including a full list of INFPs he has found on Twitter, as well as certain categories of INFPs (for instance, “INFP Bloggers” and “INFP Writers and Poets”). If you are interested in finding and following other INFPs on Twitter definitely check out Corin’s lists.
INFP Twitter Searches – Speaking of Twitter, doing a Twitter search for both “INFP” and “#INFP” will also help you find people who are INFPs or are discussing INFP/Myers Briggs. Saving both of these searches will always keep you connected to INFP discussion on Twitter.
INFP Meetups – I have never been to one, but for those of you who would like to meet up with INFPs in “real life” not just in “internet life” there is a page for INFP meetups. Some of the groups are dedicated INFP meetups and others seem to include INFP members but may have some other main focus. If anyone decides to attend I’d be curious to know how it goes.
INFP Companion – This is a nice little page that lists a whole bunch of INFP resources including blogs, articles, forums, groups and books. Nice to have all of this information in one place.
Surviving INFP – The only other dedicated INFP blog I found besides “INFP Blog.” The post updates have been few and far between in the past several months, but there is an archive that goes back to May 2008 with some good articles in there. A post I particularly like is “My Life As An INFP“.
INFPs Only – From the page: “This group was designed as a meeting ground for INFP everywhere.” Also a good place to have discussions with other INFPs about being INFP.
INFP Network on Brazen Careerist – Brazen Careerist is a “career management tool for next-generation professionals.” So, if you consider yourself to be a “next-generation professional” or would like to be in their company, you can register yourself on the site. The INFP network is pretty new, but another great place to get to know other INFPs.
Do you know of any other resources for INFPs? Leave them in the comments!
by Amanda Linehan on February 2, 2010 · 6 comments
photo credit: treyevan
“The secret of meditation is to be conscious of each second of your existence and to keep the sun of awareness continually shining.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
I came across this quote recently and liked it right away. I felt comforted as I read it.
For many people, “living in the moment” is something they aspire to. The idea of really being present in each moment of your life makes you feel as it somehow everything in your life would be better. You would appreciate your life more, get more done and just generally feel happier.
I agree that in those times when I am very present in the moment I feel great. I feel more alive, more full, more whole. The things that usually occupy my attention seem small, as they should.
But generally, when I talk about being in the moment, I’m talking about the good moments, the pleasant moments, the enjoyable moments. The moments I want to be in. So what about the moments that are not so good?
Why keep the “sun of awareness” shining on moments that you would rather have pass?
I think what originally comforted me about this quote is not the idea that I should live in the moment for things where I want to be present, but that I should live in the moment for the times when I would prefer not to be present. Or rather that I should accept both equally.
Each “second of my existence” has it’s own mood, it’s own agenda, it’s own lessons. Awareness is not picking and choosing between what you do want to experience and what you don’t want. If you allow the sun of awareness to shine, then it covers all with it’s light. Everything.
How do you keep the “Sun of Awareness” shining?
photo credit: darkpatator
When you feel motivated to do something, no matter what it is, that motivation comes with a burst of energy. That energetic feeling is what gets you going on whatever it is you are doing.
But, where does that little burst of energy come from?
There are two types of energetic bursts – Fear energy and Love energy – and both are very powerful.
Fear energy is, for instance, when you show up to your job at your appointed starting time every day, even though this causes you to wake up much earlier than you want to, so that you don’t get in trouble with your boss. You are afraid to get into trouble, and that motivates you to get there at 8am promptly every day.
Love energy is, for instance, when you work for hours a week on your blog – that doesn’t make you any money – simply because it excites you and you love to do it. Your primary motivator in this situation is love of writing, connecting and sharing.
In both of these situations, there is powerful motivation at work, but each type of energy has a different feel to it.
In Fear energy, you are avoiding something that you don’t want to happen, so Fear energy essentially moves you farther away from something you don’t want. It propels you forward, but away.
In Love energy, you are going towards something that you desire, so Love energy essentially moves you closer to something you want. It propels you forward, and towards.
What things do you do out of Fear and what things do you do out of Love? Have you ever thought about it?
What does your life feel like if you have a preponderance of one or the other?
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments. Thanks!
photo credit: Stefan Baudy
The Curious “Why?” is different from the Judgmental “Why?”.
The Judgmental “Why?” is used when someone wants to differentiate between what you are doing and what they would be doing if they were in your situation. With the implication, of course, that the way that they would be doing it is better, and, in fact, you would be much better off if you stopped what you were doing right now and did it their way.
This Judgmental “Why?” is the reason why many people shy away from asking “Why?” too much, especially of themselves. They don’t know that there is another “Why?” out there just waiting to be used.
The Curious “Why?” is a totally different breed of question. The Curious “Why?” does not aim to judge, but aims to gather more knowledge.
And, it’s perfect for gathering more knowledge about yourself and the world you live in.
If you can become better acquainted with the Curious “Why?” a whole world of knowledge opens up to you. This “Why?” can be your best friend, and not a critical parent.
The next time you feel the word “Why?” about to form in your mouth, make sure you have grabbed the right one. The Judgmental “Why?” will want to burst right through your teeth, but the Curious “Why” will be waiting patiently for you to give it the sign.
Choose wisely.
Anything to add or share? Please do in the comments.
photo credit: aussiegall
Giving is one of the great joys of life. Being able to contribute to others is something that makes us feel good about ourselves and fills a need that another person has. Giving is essential to life.
But giving is only one side of the coin.
In order for something to be given, there has to be someone to receive it. Without the receiver, there is no giver (and likewise, of course).
I bet that you actively try to give – your skills, your love, your money, your energy. But how well do you receive?
Being receptive and open to what others have to give keeps the cycle of giving/receiving flowing and moving. Receiving in an enthusiastic and appreciative manner inspires the giver to give again, and the process starts once more creating an endless cycle.
It might seem as though the receiver is less important than the giver because they are “not doing anything”, but on the contrary the receiver’s role in the giving/receiving cycle is as vital as the giver’s role.
Without a receiver the cycle of giving stops, just as if there was no giver in the first place. Be a good giver, and be a good receiver too.
What do you think about the roles of “giver” and “receiver”? Please share your ideas in the comments!
