Greetings! April 2007 I hope you are enjoying the Spring! This is a great time to Trust Your Gut, which is the topic for this month's newsletter. I welcome your ideas on other topics you would like to hear about. Feel free to email me. If, at any time, you would like to unsubscribe, simply go to the end of the newsletter. Happy Spring! Jean M. DiGiovanna, President, ThinkPeople Monthly Theme Monthly Workout Monthly Poem Upcoming Workshops/ Events Trust Your Gut The capacities we have as human beings never cease to amaze me. Our body has the capacity to heal, our mind, the capacity to create, and our heart and soul, the capacity to love unconditionally. We also have a sixth sense, the part of us that just "knows" when something is right or wrong, good or bad. Some call that sixth sense intuition; others call it your "gut". We each have the capacity to tap into our intuition, that place of knowing, but not all of us have felt or seen that place before. Intuition can come to us in different ways. Some get their intuition viscerally through feelings, in their gut, or goose bumps or some other feeling that signals to them that something is good or bad. Others get their intuition in an auditory way through sound or thoughts that may pop into their head, but it's a different kind of voice that comes in. It is more grounded and clear than the other "chitter-chatter" in our heads. Others may get their intuition visually. Dreams are a great example of visual imagery and can often guide us. Intuition is like a compass in our life to help guide us. It is a gift that comes with the package of being human. But, how many of us allow it to come through, listen to it and most of all, trust it? Can you recall in your life where you had a hunch that something was not right, then your head, your fear or your ego took over and you moved forward anyways, only to find your original hunch was right on! That is your intuition speaking to you. It can help guide us through challenging times and lead us through fabulous times when we stop and allow it to come through. You may be wondering, what intuition? I've never seen, felt or heard this thing! Often, we have so much going on in our lives and are on-the-go that it doesn't have room to be expressed. We block it. We also block it when we are forcing, pushing and controlling, not allowing the space for it to show up. If you've been running around this month or are holding onto something too tightly, I ask you to take the time out to listen to your internal compass, quiet your mind, take a few deep breaths and tap into your intuition. Ask a question about an area you may be struggling with and allow the answer to come through. If you have a very strong intuition, but have a hard time trusting it, next time it comes up, do not question it. Instead, honor it and let the results speak for themselves. Whether you are new to this or not, we are all gifted with intuition. And, gifts are meant to be cherished, acknowledged and appreciated. It's time to open up your gift and use it fully in your life! Cheers, Jean M. DiGiovanna Monthly Workout: Trust Your Gut Pick the workout that most appeals to you given where you are at with your intuition. New to tapping into your intuition? Take on the following questions and process below for this month’s workout: Take a few minutes just as you wake up in the morning or just before bed at night. Find a private spot where you won’t be interrupted and sit quietly. Take a few deep breathes in through your nose and out through your mouth and begin to relax. Imagine your entire body melting into the surface. Now, think of a question you would like answered. Perhaps it has to do with a situation you are currently facing. Stay away from questions starting with, “Should I…” and know that open-ended questions starting with “How” or “What” are more powerful than “Why” questions that may lead you to your head to analyze. If you need to ask a closed-ended question (that gives a “yes” or “no” answer), a great way to phrase it is, “Is [fill in the blank] for my highest and best?” or “Which [fill in the blank] is for my highest and best?” Close your eyes and ask the question and allow your mind to rest. Notice what you feel, hear or anything you may see. If nothing comes up, that’s ok. It doesn’t mean anything. Remember, your intuition is like a muscle that needs to workout to develop and grow. If you did feel, hear or see something, write it down and look to see what it is telling you. Sometimes we get words or images that act as metaphors, not to be taken literally. Look to discover the meaning in your answer if appropriate. Keep practicing this process and notice what comes up and take the advice your intuition gives you. Keep it light, fun and free from judgment. Are you able to tap into your intuition, but don’t always trust it? Take on the following questions and process below for this month’s workout: Next time your intuition pops in, write it down. Do not question it What will it take to trust this intuition? What would you need to let go of to fully trust? Are you willing to let go of that? If so, then move forward with what your intuition is telling you. Notice the result of doing that. Was it accurate? Was it off? Start to learn the patterns of your intuition and any other subtleties that occur in the result of following it. If the results did not go well after following your intuition, look back to see if there was anything else in the way. (your head taking over, fear or ego controlling) If you are not willing to let go, then take on the inquiry, “What is it to fully trust and let go?” Sit with that question for a week and notice what comes up for you. Keep it light, fun and free from judgment! I look forward to hearing what you experience! (please e-mail me at jdigi@thinkpeople.com) Poem of the Month: Trust Your Gut The answers are all within us, when we allow them to come through. We must open our hearts and quiet our minds, and trust what’s in our gut is true.                          ~ by Jean M. DiGiovanna Upcoming Workshops, Events, Announcements PUBLIC APPEARANCES Introduction to Workshop Design: Package Your Expertise and Increase Your Revenue Saturday, May 12, 2007 8am - 5:45pm Waltham, MA ICF New England Conference In this highly interactive workshop, you will leave with a 7-step model for creating high impact workshops, the most common pitfalls to avoid and techniques that create experiential learning. Bring a specific workshop idea in and leave with a solid foundation to work from. You will feel inspired and in action to get your message out into the world and make a profound impact on your participants. For more info, go to http://www.icfne.org/index.php?page=conference_051207 Curious about ThinkPeople's other services beyond Coaching? Check out Corporate Facilitation/Training/ Consulting I hope you've enjoyed ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout and found it valuable! Feel free to forward to your friends, family and colleagues. To read past editions of ThinkPeople's Newsletters and to learn more about our services and products, visit us at http://www.thinkpeople.com/resources.html If you wish to unsubscribe, please e-mail unsubscribe@thinkpeople.com Copyright Info: ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout for the mind, heart and soul is ©2007 Jean M. DiGiovanna. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher. Jean M. DiGiovanna, Publisher Amy Rewakowski, Editor ThinkPeople ~ Bringing Individuals and Organizations Alive! jdigi@thinkpeople.com http://www.thinkpeople.com/ 617.489.7494