When should you trust your gut, and when should you seek more information?
In February, I booked a trip to the pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico. The pilgrimage was organized by Ubiquity University and their Chartres Academy, which I had followed for many years.
When I first received the information about their 2024 trip—they host one each year—I didn’t even open the email. Despite my love for Mexico, I visited twice last year and didn’t feel drawn to going back.
But by the third email, my curiosity got the better of me. “Hmmm. Ok, this sounds interesting,” I thought.
The trip was scheduled for the summer solstice, an event I had recently read about which piqued my interest. Then, I discovered that Teotihuacan is the home of the original Mayan, Aztec, and Toltec peoples.
I am a huge fan of Don Miguel Ruiz, a Toltec shaman, and author of The Four Agreements. Before I knew it, I had signed up.
Several weeks later, I was excited to share the trip with friends. But I struggled to articulate why I was going, realizing I had trusted my gut—I just felt called to join in on the adventure.
How often do you trust your gut when making decisions, large or small? Do you?
Over the years, I’ve developed a deep trust in my gut, but it didn’t come easily—it took practice. I started with small decisions, like exiting the highway to avoid traffic or waiting it out. As I improved, I began trusting my gut with more significant choices.
Trusting my gut depends on the situation, how clear I am on the issue, and how knowledgeable I am about it.
My reliance on intuition varies depending on the situation, how clear I am on the issue, and the knowledge I possess about it.
I don’t trust my gut in some areas, like investments, where past mistakes have made me cautious. However, combining knowledge and intuition has proven to be a powerful tool in most things.
Here’s why:
- We all have untapped inner wisdom, and part of my job as a human is to discover how to access it.
- We can practice listening by spending time each day in quiet reflection. The more we listen, the more we trust. Ask yourself questions and pay attention to what your wisdom says.
- As a person of deep faith, I believe I am connected to the Creator, who helps inspire me to think, be, and do things I probably wouldn’t think of on my own.
So, was my gut right about traveling to the pyramids? The answer is twofold: Yes, absolutely—but it was also one of the most physically grueling things I’ve ever done (perhaps except for natural childbirth!).
The first day we visited the pyramids—Quetzalcoatl, or the Temple of the Feathered Serpent—was hot. At 7,500 feet, the heat felt even more intense, and the thin air at that altitude didn’t help. I am not a specimen of physical fitness.
I wasn’t mentally prepared to climb the pyramid as I had mistakenly thought it wasn’t allowed. So, when our fantastic teacher, Heather Ash Amara, led us there for a climb, I was stunned.
But I thought, “I am here; this is what this experience is all about,” and climbed it.
Yes, I had help, but I barely made it. The descent was even scarier, but again, with help, I completed the journey.
Long story short, I experienced heat exhaustion, but with more help, I made it down to my room. Another kind helper brought a fan to cool me down so I could focus on resting.
Despite the challenges, the sense of community and participation in the ritual ceremonies made up for the difficult climb up and down the pyramid.
Even the ceremony at dawn on the summer solstice, as we greeted the sun, was a fabulous and memorable experience that helped me appreciate that I had listened to my gut!
