Friends and family who know what I do often ask – “What’s it like when you realize that you’re picking up an intuitive impression? Do you feel differently?”

It’s a valid question. When you’re watching these television shows and movies it sometimes looks like the psychic is going into some kind of over-the-top trance. Their head starts jerking around, or their eyes shut really tight. And not surprisingly they only pick up impending disaster or gloom.

My impressions aren’t quite so dramatic!

When I close my eyes to get into my heart chakra I sometimes see a hand. And that hand might start drawing a picture for me.

I find that when the hand starts drawing a picture it means the situation the person is asking about is still unfolding.

One of the most frequent pictures I see is a house being built. Sometimes it’s just the outline of the house. On occasion I’ll see entire pieces of the house being put together – kind of like a puzzle. Or I’ll see the house being outlined in various colors. I’ve learned to interpret each one differently.

Although there is a Hollywood-esqe quality sometimes…

Sometimes a scene from a movie will pop into my mind. It’s often something totally off the wall, but meaningful. That’s how I know it’s my intuition – it will be totally random.

I once got a scene from the movie Kung-Fu Hustle. (Not one of my personal choices, but my family loves this quirky movie!) I saw a lotus pen-type dagger going into a persons body. The man who did it had actually tricked the other fighters into believing that he had given up the fight.

To me, this scene was metaphorical. Like letting your guard down and then being tricked or being hurt.

And they tend to be very behind-the-scenes.

I find that I pick up a lot of the hidden agendas or the inner emotions and thoughts that my clients aren’t discussing. That’s the one aspect of giving readings which amazes me.

During a recent reading someone asked me about money. They wanted to know whether it would start flowing in.

When I pulled the tarot cards I saw a woman who looked like she had a lot to do with the money situation. I saw her spending a lot of the money that was already coming in – but that she wasn’t exactly proud or happy about it. She wasn’t doing it to be a gold digger, it was more out of necessity… or at least what she perceived to be necessity.

The client cut me off while I was giving him what I saw. But later in the reading he admitted that there was a woman in his life who was, in fact, bleeding him dry.

Sometimes it’s hard for people to hear the messages. Sometimes it’s hard for me to get certain messages about myself and my own situations! So I can understand when people cut me off. Most times they need a few days just to slowly soak it all in.

But the bottom line is-

My intuitive impressions almost always appear as regular thoughts. And that’s what makes them so hard for people to pay attention to. You might be swear you’re having a normal thought, and it’s really your intuition.

So if you’re someone who’s exploring their intuition, the most important thing you can do is to pay attention to those seemingly out-of-place thoughts that zip through your mind. Especially if you’re in a meditative state or you’re intuitively asking a question.

You’ll quickly find that your intuition really is constantly giving you hints.

Just like any other natural gift, there are going to be times when you’ll feel shaky about your intuitive abilities. I think every professional psychic has gone through a reading where they begin second guessing whatever it is they see or feel.

I just want you to know that this is perfectly normal. We are – after all – talking about a skill that can seem to come from nowhere. Moments of self-doubt are to be expected, especially if you’re just starting out.

And that’s where a power word can come into play. A power word can be an instant confidence booster. It can be said quietly, out loud, or you can even imagine it floating around your aura.

Sometimes when I’m giving a reading I’ll imagine my own power word resting within my heart chakra. It’s my reminder to stay focused, when I might be feeling otherwise.

So what’s my power word?

It’s the same one that I recommend to anyone who’s developing their intuitive abilities – TRUST.

TRUST for an intuitive is as necessary as oxygen is for the human body. TRUST brings you back to an inner knowing that you are as insightful as you think you are. It gives you permission to freely speak whatever it is you feel, hear, see or know.

When I first started giving readings to friends of friends, I was oh-so-afraid of letting them know about the things I picked up.

One time, I kept seeing a married woman as a single, stay-at-home mom. When I intuitively read the tarot, the cards were telling me that her husband was reaching a breaking point. In fact, the hermit card came up twice during the reading. But at the time I didn’t TRUST enough to tell her what I saw.

Keeping the truth hidden doesn’t create a successful reading. If you see or feel something during a reading, there’s a reason for it. And if a person comes to you for your insights then it’s your job to TRUST what you see and relay it.

Life, after all, isn’t one big happy-fest. It’s filled with ups and downs. And in using your intuition you’ll see both the ups and downs.

Your job isn’t to be a shield from the truth. It’s to TRUST that what you see is meant to be expressed to the sitter.

And that also goes for using your intuitive skills on yourself.

For example, how many times have you shoved a negative prophecy to the side because it wasn’t something you wanted to see or hear? I know that I’ve done more times than I care to admit.

Eventually I realized that TRUSTING what I saw would help me in the long run. Nobody likes to think that an earthquake could take away everything they own. But then again, being able to prepare for it does help.

Exercise for today

Either print out or hand write a poster with the word TRUST on it.

Hang it wherever you do your readings, or in the room where you meditate.

Use it liberally as your guidepost.