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Robert Frost got it right in his poem, ‘The Road Not Taken,’ – when he said:
‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood – and I chose the one less traveled by – and that has made all the difference.’
He was citing the courage to trust your instincts, follow your dreams and be unafraid in challenging the pressures to conform to the expectations of others.
‘Trust your inner voice.’ Or ‘trust your gut.’ These are phrases you’ve probably heard quite a few times throughout your life, whether it be from a friend or family member giving advice, or perhaps it was a coach of some sort giving instructions. Not only that, it’s also a sensation you’ve probably felt either when you feel something is wrong, or better yet, when you feel something is ‘right’ – although you may not be able to explain it. You just instinctively know that you’re meant to do something. It’s almost like a sixth sense that our body has when encountering something that requires us to make important decisions.
The phrase ‘trust your gut’ actually does connect in some ways with our gut. Interestingly, there’s something called the ‘brain-gut connection,’ a communication system that connects these two parts of our bodies through a web of over 100 million neurons, more than exist in the spinal cord! While we may think our gut instinct is derived purely from emotion, there is in fact a whole body of research showing that these instincts come from exposure to different events and experiences, even ones you may not consciously remember! So, when you find yourself in a situation where your instinct is playing a role, what you’re actually sensing is a physical response to memories - memories of events you may have experienced and you feel as though they’re being repeated, igniting a fight or flight sensation. And when these situations occur, how do we know whether to trust our instinct or trust purely logic or reason?
Albert Einstein was asked a similar question in 1929 about how he made decisions. Arguably one of the smartest men to ever live, his response was simple, “I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel that I am right.” Rather than dismissing his instincts, he would rather test them out. If they were wrong, he figured there was still value in what he could learn. And if they were right, it would help improve his intuition. There are times in life when we doubt ourselves and question our instincts. And in doing so, it can lead us in a direction that where we may end up feeling as though we are not being true to ourselves and our values. However, when we follow our instincts and combine this with other observations or facts, even data points, we give ourselves a unique opportunity to make the best decision for ourselves, and hopefully, others around us.
So why is that valuable? Namely because it creates a level of confidence in ourselve’s to go out into the world with an idea or a goal and accomplish it. This isn’t to say we should always trust our instinct as nothing is foolproof. But it is to say that by being more aware of our gut instincts, we can find hold of an incredibly important guide as we navigate the uncertainties of life. In the case of Albert Einstein, his belief in his own intuition allowed him to forge his own path, against the grain of what others perhaps expected of him. It made him a trailblazer in the worlds of science, math, and technology while also leaving behind an incredible legacy. And while each of us may not be an ‘Einstein,’ we each have our own unique talents and potential. So, let’s listen to our inner voice and give our unique qualities the opportunity to reach their full potential – bolstered by the courage to chart our own exciting and uniquely individual path!
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