Why I'm Less Into Intuitive Living These Days

I was really into intuitive living for a while: intuitive eating, intuitive exercise, etc. It was a good phase. It was a phase of questioning the world's messages and getting to know myself better. It helped me clarify my values. I'm less into it now, though. It's just not working for me.

Life is too busy right now to truly tap into intuition. I just need to have a plan and go. While it might be good to pause and check in with myself, asking what I really want here and now can lead to decision fatigue. Habits and routines are serving me better.

I am also thinking more about sin, and how my nature is inherently fallen. Do I really want to listen to my intuition, if my intuition is fallen? Opposing those who believe humans always know what is best for themselves, John Koessler (2003) writes, "We don’t always know what is good for us. Following our natural desires may move us further away from spiritual maturity rather than closer to it” (p. 123). If my life is about living for Jesus, living for myself, I want to be about maturity, and that might mean less intuition.

I do still try to listen to my body when it tells me it is sick, hungry, or tired. As Jess Connolly (2022) says, "This is a good body," in that God made it. God designed our bodies to work well. He designed people to understand their bodies and care for them. There are still some vestiges of that good left. Sometimes I get to honor what my body tells me. Sometimes I have to push through. It's called life.

I tend to do things in extremes. I was disciplined to my detriment, and then I was probably more navel-gazing than needed. I hope I am a little more realistic these days, about what I can and can't do, and about who I am as a sinner being sanctified by my Savior. I am less into intuitive living as a lifestyle, but maybe, just maybe, I'm getting closer to just living the life I have. For me, that would be a win.

References:

Connolly, J. [@breakingfreefrombodyshame]. (2022, July 29). Know what is the one thing that can still send me into a shame spiral? [Instagram photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/CgmnrleL9Qj/?hl=en.

Koessler, J. (2003). True discipleship: The art of following Jesus. Moody Publishers.