Parenting Tip - Follow Your Gut Reaction

I read Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink, a couple of years ago and think of it quite often.  It’s about how we make those quick initial judgments or gut reaction decisions, which most always seem to be true and correct.   I’ve been thinking about that in connection with my trying harder, lately, to listen to God’s voice so I can receive inspiration for my life.

 

Following your gut reaction and listening for inspiration sometimes mean you may do things “outside the box”.  They don’t really make sense at this time or point in life, but you feel that the decision is right, nonetheless.  Sometimes you have a fleeting thought and feel like you should follow it.

It just feels right.

 

I know a couple of moms who have experienced this.  One of my piano students quit recently.  The reason—well there were a couple—was a new baby, plus her husband was going back to school but still working full time.  The mom just had a gut feeling that she needed to simplify her life if things were going to go smoothly at home.  Even though her son was progressing with the piano and doing well, her feeling was that they needed to stop lessons for awhile.  

 

Another mom was deciding what to do about school for her children.  She felt like she should home school them.  Were they having problems at school? No.  Did they like school?  Yes.  Then why rock the boat?  It was that uneasy feeling and fleeting thought that something different needed to be done.  And homeschooling was the answer.  She followed her gut feeling, and that thought.  Now she’s feeling that changes need to be made again.

 

Is it easy to hear, listen, and understand those impressions that come so quickly or those unsettled feelings that won’t go away?  Definitely not! But as we practice listening and following through, our ability to hear and understand will increase.

 

Thanks for reading,

Cathy

 

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