What Your Gut Is Telling You (And Why You Keep Ignoring It)
You already know more than you think you do.
Today’s article is based on this week’s RTDB episode so if you prefer to listen to your content, click above to listen on Apple!
I sat down to record this week’s Rock the Damn Boat episode with absolutely nothing prepared. No outline, no topic, no grand plan. And for a split second, I panicked.
Then I thought — this is actually perfect.
Because what happened next was exactly what I want to talk about: intuition showed up right on time.
The Noise Problem
We are living in an era of relentless content. Courses for $7. Masterclasses for $27. Coaches promising you’ll make $2,000 an hour if you just follow their exact system.
I’ll be honest — I’ve clicked on plenty of them. And my algorithm has never let me forget it.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with low-cost learning. I’ve taken notes from a $7 course that gave me genuinely useful reframes. But there’s a pattern worth naming: a lot of these offers are designed to funnel you toward something that costs significantly more. It’s the modern version of snake oil salesmen — those traveling elixir peddlers of the 1800s who promised to cure everything and delivered... well, sometimes opiates.
Like those elixirs, I have become addicted to the idea of a quick fix. My recovery plan included meditation and intuition.
Because when something online seems too good to be true, your gut probably already knows that it is. The question is whether you’re listening.
Our Brains Aren’t Just in Our Heads
When I coach women through the Thrive framework, I talk about intuition as more than a feeling — it’s actually a physiological system.
Most of us were taught we have one brain. But there’s growing evidence we have three centers worth paying attention to:
The cerebral brain — your logical command center
The heart — not just a pump, but a powerful regulator of your entire physical state
The gut brain — your enteric nervous system, which research increasingly links to mood, decision-making, and overall wellbeing
That “sinking feeling” when you agree to something you don’t want to do? That’s not drama. That’s data.
And when you’re talking about something you’re truly passionate about — a project, a person, a purpose — notice what happens in your body. Butterflies. A full chest. Cheeks that ache from smiling. That’s your gut brain and your heart brain agreeing with your head.
The Difference Between “Should” and “Yes”
There’s a saying: don’t should on yourself.
So much of what we tell ourselves we need to do is actually internalized external pressure. Social expectations. Other people’s timelines. Someone else’s definition of success.
Intuition sounds different. It’s quieter. It doesn’t argue with you — it just keeps showing up.
The practice is learning to get still enough to hear it. To notice how something feels in your body, not just what you think about it in your head. That’s the work of somatic awareness — and it’s something I explore deeply, including through my own experience working with a somatic experiencing coach while writing my memoir.
Your Path Is Not Their Path
I attended DFWCon writers conference in 2021 before I published my book. The statistic was shocking: fewer than 0.2% of authors make the New York Times bestseller list.
I applaud every writer who makes it onto that list. It’s prestigious, indeed.
But here’s the thing — I don’t write because I want to be on that list (though I wouldn’t say no). I write because it takes me somewhere. I’m currently finishing a novel about four women navigating their own crises, and when I get lost in their world, I think a little less about mine.
The same principle applies to every “fast track” offer you’ll ever see. Someone’s path to success is real — for them. But a small fraction of people who follow any given blueprint will replicate those results. Your path is yours. It’s specific, it’s nuanced, and — I genuinely believe that it’s divinely guided.
What To Do With This
You don’t have to have it all figured out. But I’d invite you to start paying attention.
When you talk about a certain idea or project, what happens in your body? Do you light up? Do you feel a pull toward it even when it scares you? That’s worth following.
And when something feels heavy, obligatory, or like you’re performing someone else’s life — that’s worth examining too.
Your intuition isn’t loud. But it’s consistent. And it will keep showing up until you listen.
If your gut is steering you toward a corporate exit, join me LIVE on Tuesday, April 14th at Noon CST for “What Nobody Tells You About a Corporate Exit.”
The next Thrive cohort starts in May — a peer group format for women ready to move forward on whatever that thing is that keeps nudging them. 3-week and 6-week options available. And if you’re craving something in person, we have retreats in Texas (April) and Tahoe (June). Find everything at thrivewithchristy.com.