Was it "just a hunch"?

February 06, 2026

Whether we believe in intuition or not, all of us get "hunches" at some point or another. It could be that phone call you felt called to make for no reason to someone you hadn’t spoken to in forever, and it turned out that they needed, just at that time, a friend to talk to.

Many years ago, when I was first learning about intuition, I just so happened to go, for fun, to a horse race with some relatives. Sitting on the benches, I thought, “I wonder if I can use this intuition thing in betting on a horse?” So, casually, I went and put some cash down on a horse that seemed like it could win. Well, can you guess? When it got first place, my mind went, “Wow, this whole intuition stuff actually works! I bet I can make lots of money from this.” I put another two bets down and didn’t win either of them, but I was still very much ahead from the chunk of change from my original win.

Did I tap into my soul’s inner knowing and win lots of money at a horse race? I believe yes, and it also gave the universe an opportunity to teach me a very valuable and formative lesson. When I got back home, I parked my car in my driveway and went inside for a brief meditation before I would go back out and splurge on my winnings. But when I came back to my car, someone had broken into it and stolen my wallet, which I had, for some reason, left in the glove compartment, with not only the cash from the races, but also my entire paycheck, which I had oddly converted to cash earlier that day!

This experience taught me that it is unwise to use the gift of intuition for unrighteous means. Using your intuition is kind of like using a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. Over time, it becomes more refined, subtle, direct, and clear. But how do we know whether what we are feeling comes from our higher self and not from our ego and desires? Here are a few tips:

1. Do you feel calm? If you are excited, restless, or emotional, there is a good chance that what you are perceiving is not coming from your higher self. True guidance has a deep sense of joy, calmness, and detachment.
   
2. Never presume. Even if you have a lot of experience following your intuition, be cautious that what you perceive, or your understanding of it, may not, at times, be exactly what you think.
   
3. Go a step at a time. Have the courage to act on what you perceive, and if you feel the guidance to go right, also know that at any moment you may receive the guidance to then go left. Go one step at a time and always keep listening inwardly. Also, watch how it plays out with the people around you. Is it harmonious? Don’t allow yourself to be discouraged by others, but also be careful if it is causing conflict around you.
   
4. Intuition is seldom loud. It usually comes when we are calm and detached from the outcome. It is almost like a whisper speaking from your heart. The more you listen to and trust your inner guidance, the more refined and clear it becomes—yet still subtle.

Often, each one of us is confronted with challenges or complicated situations where there are no easy answers. With practice, the more we listen from within, the easier it becomes to find answers to even the most challenging questions. Start small and try for yourself.

Written by Jaidhara Sleighter

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