I’ve been watching Oprah’s Life Class again. I’m telling you people, this is quality TV. Anyway, one of the topics was about listening to our gut. All of us have heard that tiny voice in the back of our minds. It’s a tiny little part of ourself that says, hmmm, that’s not right. Something is off. Something is not as it was. I don’t know about you, but a lot of times I ignore that voice. Yesterday I asked myself why. Why, Ashley, do you ignore your inner voices? And then I answered myself: because I don’t trust them. I don’t trust myself. Now that I have discussed it with myself, I think it’s absurd. No one knows me better than me. Why in the world shouldn’t I trust myself? It seems as though we are the only animals in the world who sense danger, and walk straight into it.
An example of this is from a lady who appeared on the show. Having children, this story terrifies me. She was at home alone and playing with her two girls outside. The kids were very young. One is a baby, and the other 2 or 3 years old. They lived on a farm and had a long driveway. One day she noticed a truck driving up her driveway. She didn’t think anything of it because she said a lot of people drive up your driveway and then turn around when you live out in the country. But the truck kept coming towards them. She began to feel nervous but didn’t run into the house yet. She thought that might be silly. The truck came further and further but she still didn’t run inside because if this person needed help, it would seem very rude of her to leave. The man stopped his truck and got out. He could tell at this point that she was frightened and immediately said something like, I’m so so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m lost, I’m looking for such and such…etc. She felt relieved because he was acting so nice. It occurred to her, who would want to hurt someone with two children? At this point I think she gave him directions and then turned around with her girls in arm, to walk back into the house. Suddenly she heard what she described as “thunderous” running footsteps coming up from behind her. The man pounced on them from behind and tackled all three of them to the ground. Feeling as a terrified mother would feel, this woman kicked, screamed, scratched, bit and fought this man as hard as she possibly could fight. It must have been intense, because luckily, the man got up and left.
How many stories have you heard of women who were victimized? And of those who survived, how many said, “I knew something wasn’t right.” I now believe that tiny voice is our first warning. Women worry so much about being polite and approachable that we overshadow our own instincts. Don’t ignore that voice. It could be the tiniest signal, the tiniest feeling of uneasiness. You don’t have to be an intelligent person to avoid danger.
This isn’t just a lesson for life or death situations. Despite what our insecurities tell us, trust yourself. Trust your voice. Life is sending us signals. It's speaking to us all of the time. There is a reason you're watching that show on TV or hearing that conversation on the radio. There's a reason you're unsure. There's a reason you're unhappy. There's a reason for your job, your spouse and the place you're having lunch today. There is a reason for all of it. It's not a mistake, it's not a coincidence. Treat your life as if it were specifically designed for you. Take it in. Listen to the whisper.
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