I recently listened to someone talk about intuition and instinct. The essence of the message was that our instincts are not just random thoughts but rather ideas, and conclusions, we have reached based on our observations, our experiences and our knowledge. When we listen to our instincts, we are not making a random guess, we are bringing together a number of elements to help us make a decision or lead us in a direction.

I have often said that one of the most important lessons that I have learned in my professional life is to “trust my gut.” If it doesn’t feel right, it likely isn’t. And if I believe that something or someone is right, it is just about always the case.

But, how many of us have learned to trust our instincts and not take it to its full extent? Our speaker talked about the “whispers” that we hear, the thoughts that pass through our minds about our lives, our families, our careers and more. These are not the “I should” messages, rather they are the “What if” and “If only” and “I wish.” They’re the ideas that we hold that could reshape our worlds in ways both large and small. Yet, we rarely act on those thoughts. They are our daydreams, the ideas that warm us inside, the things that make us smile ruefully to ourselves, accepting the improbability, or even impossibility, of these dreams.

What would happen if we changed the way we think about those whispers? What would happen if we recognized that these thoughts are not random but rather formed from who we are and what we have done? What would happen if we stopped ignoring the whispers and listened? What if we gave our instincts the same attention we give to the words from others in our lives and allowed ourselves to explore and learn and, perhaps, create change? If we open our minds, we may indeed open and fill our full hearts.