Orange Peels and Intuition

Dear Reader,

A few days ago, I opened the lid of our trash can to throw something away. When I looked inside, I saw some orange peels that my wife had thrown out a few minutes earlier. As soon as I saw the discarded peels, I thought of Mick, a friend of mine from high school. Now, even though Mick was a good guy, I haven’t thought of him for many years – decades. He was a team mate of mine on the cross-county running team. The image that came from seemingly nowhere in my brain was of Mick, before every race, peeling and eating a giant orange for energy. What a surprise gift from my past!

But before I could enjoy that memory, another image came to me, this one of a college friend – “Mick the Quick.” Wow! I hadn’t thought of her in years either. I could only marvel at the speed at which my mind had dusted off and pulled out such old memories.

You may be wondering what orange peels and Mick the Quick have to do with intuition…

Exactly this: the more freely we can associate different thoughts in our minds, the more receptive we are to intuitive guidance. We are less likely to block, ignore or label as something else altogether, our intuitions.

Neuroscience has revealed that our brain forms and builds up neural pathways based on our most frequent and repetitive thoughts. The more the pathways are built up, the more likely those thoughts are to be triggered. New thoughts can less easily accepted, leading to more rigid thinking.

Any game or situation that encourages your mind to make new connections can help your intuition. This process stimulates your creativity as well. Drawing or writing with your opposite hand, simple meditation, going for a walk wearing “alien eyes,” – whatever suits your fancy. Free you mind – find your intuition!

I honor your loving heart,

John