An Easy Exercise to Find Out What You Really Want
Instinct can guide you to happiness—if only you tap into it. Here's a simple language exercise to help you get there.
Illustration: Federica Bordoni
Now we're going to access your intuition by asking it to use language, but in an unfamiliar way. You're going to have a conversation with it. First you'll write a question with your dominant hand. Then switch to your nondominant hand and allow any answer that wants to scrawl out on the page. Here's an example. Brianna is trying to decide whether to stay in her soul-murdering job. She wrote out questions about this using her dominant hand, then switched to her nondominant hand to write answers. The results surprised and excited her. Here they are:
Should I quit my job? Yes. Once I quit, I can get moving.
Moving? What does that mean? I can start moving toward a more creative way of living.
Creative? Like when I was in third grade and made a farm out of clay.
Am I saying I can make a living building farms out of clay? No, but something similar.
What? How? Quit my job, and the new path will appear.
Now it's your turn. Write a question using your dominant hand. Switch the pen to your nondominant hand and let any answer blurt out. Then switch the pen back and write another question. Repeat as many times as you want.
And finally...As you master the skills above, you'll find yourself turning on your intuition as often, and as usefully, as you send texts. You'll feel safer in the world, make better choices and discover more joy in living. Of course, I don't know this for certain. I just have a very strong hunch.
Sample Intuition Conversation
Should I quit my job? Yes. Once I quit, I can get moving.
Moving? What does that mean? I can start moving toward a more creative way of living.
Creative? Like when I was in third grade and made a farm out of clay.
Am I saying I can make a living building farms out of clay? No, but something similar.
What? How? Quit my job, and the new path will appear.
Now it's your turn. Write a question using your dominant hand. Switch the pen to your nondominant hand and let any answer blurt out. Then switch the pen back and write another question. Repeat as many times as you want.
And finally...As you master the skills above, you'll find yourself turning on your intuition as often, and as usefully, as you send texts. You'll feel safer in the world, make better choices and discover more joy in living. Of course, I don't know this for certain. I just have a very strong hunch.
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