We all have intuition but finding it when we are stressed is a daunting task. It is easy to lean on an author for inspiration and motivation when you are in a new situation, however not every book is perfect for every situation. Sometimes, we have to write our own manuals.
Grandma always said, “If you can read, you can cook.” But Grandma always meant, if you can read, you can do anything. So, that’s what I always did. Whether it was learning to cook, learning a new language, or learning how to be an executive before I was 27. I found knowledge, inspiration, and motivation from reading books like Good to Great and How to Win Friends and Influence People.
I set a goal to listen to or read a new book every week and would always have something fresh to implement with my team. You name the problem, I could figure out ways to solve it with a little help from Amazon. (Or really, the public library. It was the 90s). It worked; until one moment, it didn’t.
My world turned upside down when there was no book on the shelf that told me how to get my sweet daughter Katie to stop crying in the middle of the night. The books I read all contradict one another. I was confused, stressed, and exhausted!
My family and friends would say, “Listen to your intuition.”
I thought, Ha! What intuition? Please, someone, get me a PowerPoint and I will graph my way out of this mess. I flat out denied that I had any motherly instincts.
Fast forward 2 more kids and I was too busy to search for a manual on parenting. I only had enough time to listen and respond. Oh, that sounds like a teething cry or Oops, I guess green beans don’t agree with you.
Intuition, it turns out, needs to be fostered by patience, tuning into your own energy shifts, finding patterns in circumstances, and trusting your gut.
Grandma’s advice, “If you can read, you can cook,” still holds true. I’ve learned that if I can read my intuition, I can do anything—and sometimes my intuition tells me to read the book.
Working mom? Busy Executive? Career and Family Focused?
Find balance at The Nest
Executive Mom Nest Founder, Marcy Stoudt is passionate about developing leaders, bringing teams together, and creating a work environment where people thrive. For the past 25 years, she has worked with hundreds of women and executives and has coached, taught, and inspired results through confidence and balance.