How a Bad Turkey Sandwich Helped Me Quit My Job and Learn About Intuition

Many clients come to me at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives; unsure what the next steps are, what to do, or how to even begin heading in a direction that might be right for them.Fifteen years ago, I got a craving. For a grilled turkey sandwich.Little did I know, until a few days later, and an experience rivaling an exorcism, that there had been one of the largest food recalls in years. Needless to say, I felt like death.However, a few hours before death, the experience was more like dread.  My stomach was off, I felt kind of paranoid, like something in general was off track in my life.  I kept talking myself out of anything being wrong and thought if I took a few antacids and a nap it would get better.For a year leading up to that fateful sandwich, I had been extremely unhappy with my chosen career in the medical field.  Every evening was similar to the pre-turkey party in my gut.My stomach was off, I felt kind of paranoid, like something in general was off track in my life.  I kept talking myself out of anything being wrong and thought if I took a few antacids and a nap it would get better.I also thought I needed to give my profession more time.  I’d only been working as a Med Lab Tech for a few years.A few years.In retrospect, and as I get older, a few years is a long time when you feel like you're talking yourself out of vomiting on a regular basis.  At the time, I could only hear the voices in my head:- You still have student loans from this degree.- What will people think if you quit?- What else will you do if you quit?- You can’t afford to quit.- This is really going to impact your family.- Just stick with it.  It’ll get better.Et cetera, et cetera.After the turkey fiasco I realized:

1. I wasn’t paranoid.  Some crazy shizzle was about to go down.

2. More antacids and a nap were NOT going to help.

3. I needed to give my body more credit than I was giving my head, even though I wasn’t quite sure what that meant or how to do that at the time.

After months of feeling perpetually sick, starting to explore some of the answers to the questions I was asking, and listening to what my body was saying, I quit.  I can’t even begin to explain the relief I felt after I made the decision.  I felt lighter, a weight lifted off my shoulders, my belly and heart felt open, my low back stopped hurting, and I didn’t want to vomit anymore.  The physical tension and strength I was using to stay in a situation that wasn’t right for me was exhausting.  Even worse, it didn’t leave space or energy for me to create, brainstorm or entertain new options.One of the first steps I have clients take, before ever making a decision, is to have them reconnect with their physical body.  The somatic wealth of knowledge and intuition we can access, if we share that intelligence with our minds, is magnificent.  As dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham said, “The body never lies.”Whether it’s a bad turkey sandwich or your life’s work, your body knows.In my newsletter this week I’m including a link to a body awareness exercise and a pdf I share with new clients.  If you feel discombobulated, at a crossroads, and not quite sure where to start - start HERE.There will be more FREE intuition trainings and exercises in upcoming newsletters.  Stay tuned and spread the word beautiful ones!