By Lee Ruggles
I remember where I was sitting when it all started. The teacher was at the front of the room. It was early afternoon when it hit me softly but firmly. I had been going about this life-thing all wrong. The key to true popularity and acceptance was to agree with what the group was saying or thinking. And never, never give even the slightest hint of disagreeing or not approving its actions. Be sensitive to the subtle nuances of acceptable behavior and do not cling to what is comfortable but out of style, action or fashion-wise. Laugh when they laugh; act bored when they act bored. Then maybe, I thought, maybe they won’t see the acne and the very wavy curly hair that was so not them.
My thirteen-year-old self decided that was the way to fit in, to be part of the group, to never be snubbed. The premise worked for many years. No pressure. That was the principle that stood me in good stead until I began to outgrow it. I not only heard, but I listened. And observed. And learned.
Reality began to worm its way into my psyche as I settled into the nursing program at a Philadelphia medical center. Classes at the nearby university opened a new world. The experience of living with other young women slowly began to change my perspective.
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Observation, flexibility and advocacy as well as professional and self-development became part of who I am, although if asked at that time to identify those traits, I would have been at a loss to do so.
It was many decades later that I stumbled upon a definition of intuition that struck a chord for me: “Intuition – the ability to understand something immediately without the need for conscious reasoning.” Digging further, the concept began to take shape. Intuition was having that deep empathy—even if it’s not on the surface. It’s being aware of your surroundings. It’s analyzing and playing devil’s advocate and being keenly aware of how all of the pieces fit together. Not exactly ESP, but closer than one would expect.
Everything I had felt, done, and experienced had, in many ways, laddered up under the intuition umbrella. I had observed, I had questioned. I had mimicked, even, all those years ago. But always there was that awareness—that it was “me” or wasn’t, that I was evolving or that I was falling in line.
Arguably, intuition is a trait we could all use a little more of, especially now. In today’s world, being alert and aware without being paranoid can be a balancing act. The good news: I believe intuition is more or less a muscle that can be toned and strengthened. And the stronger our collective intuition can be, the more aware we’ll see and understand the nuances that make us all who we are—and, with that, build stronger connections. That’s my hope, and one I’m committed to applying my own intuition to.
