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ABC’s of Life Series — Day 9 Letter I : Instincts Are There To Guide Us

ABC’s of Life

Day 9   Letter I

Our Instincts Are There To Guide Us

Instincts are the bodies’ natural way of helping us avoid harmful situations. These harmful situations could be anything that hurt or destroy our mind, body, or spirit.

Our instincts or intuition can be used to help us lead more fulfilling lives, and help keep us aware of what is going on around us. Instincts are the bodies natural compass to navigate through life and keep ourselves protected.

Some people refer to instincts as that little voice inside of them. Other people may refer to it as “getting vibes”. Some people may call it God’s voice, and some just simply call it listening to their gut.

Whatever one decides to call it, intuition is something that we are all capable of tapping into. It is something we can likely recall from a young age, and a gift that we are all born with.

I believe that our instincts become stronger the more in tune we become with ourselves. I have also noticed that once we decide to live a calm life in pursuit of happiness; intuition appears to become stronger. It  becomes louder, and easier to hear.

As we age we tend to learn from all those times in life where we said : ”Something told me not to go, that could have been me.” Or perhaps we have said something such as “Something told me to wait so a waited, and thank goodness I did.”

Another example we could probably all relate to at a younger age: Have you ever taken a test and then changed your original answer? While reviewing the scored test, did you see that your original answer was correct? That was your natural gut instinct, and the majority of the time it is correct.

There are many situations where intuition has allowed us to question our surroundings. Intuition removes us from bad situations, and often opens the doors for many opportunities. Listening to it can save our lives, not listening can destroy them.

For Today: Go to a quiet place and relax. Reflect upon a current life situation that is troubling you and tune into your instincts. What was your initial reaction to the situation? Was there something in the beginning that warned you of this problem you now face? Did instincts guide you around parts of the situation then get ignored at other points?

Take today to be lost in your thoughts for a bit. It is a great day to tune in.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 © Angela Bininger and The Empowerers, 2009-2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  

Signs & Symptoms of Communication Breakdown

Communication is essential for all relationships to function properly.

When communication breakdown begins, the relationship begins to suffer and the fate of the relationship enters an unknown zone. The outcome is often determined by the people involved, as well as their ability to communicate effectively until all the issues at hand are resolved.

There are many signs to communication breakdown that may need an intervention. If you find yourself struggling in a relationship facing these issues, find help.

Whether you stay or go is up to you, however, if communication doesn’t improve someone will likely be going over time.

Types of Communication Breakdown:

Stonewalling- This is when a partner is non responsive when conflict arrives. They refuse to interact at all. Stonewalling is a person’s way to protect themselves and their environment. It gives them a sense of control. Unfortunately, it gets the relationship nowhere near resolution, and often brings even more frustration to the one whom is willing to talk and communicate.

Root: The biggest reason for stonewalling in communication breakdown is guilt.

Body language: Arms are crossed and he/she refuses to make eye contact. Or, he/she walks away and refuses to communicate further. Responses are short, and usually consist of “I don’t know”.

Defensiveness– This is when the person takes away from the issue at hand, and turns it around. This person often tries to find fault in someone else, rather than taking responsibility for his or her own actions. Defensiveness will even cause the one seeking the help to look for how it would help their partner, rather than themselves.

Root: Defensiveness stems from fear. Fear of truth, and fear of disappointment.

Body Language: This is usually when one begins to make erratic faces and waves his or her hands or arms in the air. The emotions of this person can be quite unpredictable at times.

Denial – Denial can take us to places we never thought we would be. When one is in denial they can not hear what others try to tell them, nor can they see it. Denial is a combination of stonewalling and defensiveness. In both cases, one refuses to admit the issues. Without admittance there is no acceptance. And without acceptance, there is no change.

Root: Insecurities, low self-esteem, and fear of rejection fuels denial.

Body Language: The most common expression from one in denial is usually the person ignoring the issues. The moving hands or arms flaring, along with the statements such as “whatever” or “OK” are also pretty common. When in denial, everything going on in that person’s life is the fault of everyone else.

Secretiveness – Secretive people are usually very quiet. They are often the best listeners, but offer the least amount of information about their personal lives in terms of general conversation. Secret keepers are often image conscience, and prefer everyone to think that life is perfect. They too, are in denial and fear facing reality.

The key factor in discovering a secretive person is this: If they do not ask you many questions, it is usually because they do not want questions asked. They usually seem to be intrigued by what others have to say when in conversation, and are notorious for gossiping.

Root: Poor self-image and fear of abandonment promotes secretiveness.

Body Language: Calm and relaxed. The secretive person appears to have it all together. They want the world to believe that they have everything under control.

If you are in a romantic relationship where these behaviors occur seek help. Statistics have proven that once a relationship loses the ability to maintain effective communication, it becomes toxic and/or abusive.

If we can’t communicate properly, emotions will run high and things will escalate. This is a fact. We may not be able to help your partner or change them, but we can help ourselves and change our situation.

© Angela Bininger and The Empowerer, 2009-2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Angela Bininger and The Empowerer with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.