I am fond of the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz and think how odd that due to his sensitivity he was referred to as being a coward. As the story progressed and his bond with his fellow travelers became stronger, we see him standing tall and strong to defend and protect them. For when he left his own fears behind he could easily stand up for what he believed in, often in the blink of an eye.

It is the same with all of us. We have strength within us that is beyond understanding when we push past unfounded fears. Often, I ask, ” What is the worst that could happen if I try this?” Mind you I have not attempted bungie jumping, I am speaking about typical expectations of a business woman. What is the worst that could happen if I start writing a blog? What if I attempt to produce my own website? What if I agree to the speaking engagement? Should I rent this office space?

These questions often lead me toward a more spiritual reflection. It is most affirming for me to ask, “Is this good for God, for others, for me? If a question passes the three way check, it is usually a go! This practice along with taking time to deep breathe and then ruminating over the situation in my mind and soul for a few minutes or sometimes a day or even longer has worked well for me. If a decision requires that I gather more information before I feel confident about it, then I keep digging deeper for information.

It has come to my attention that most of my decisions are correctly made within a few minutes of when the situation was presented. Even if additional time was allowed and taken for complete analytical  investigation. This idea has been documented in a book I read recently, “Blink, The power of Thinking Without Thinking” written by Malcolm Gladwell. He concludes that part of our brain leaps to accurate conclusions within a blink of an eye. He calls this study, adaptive unconscious.

Gladwell suggests the following, “This new notion of the adaptive unconscious is thought of as a kind of giant computer that quickly and quietly processes a lot of data we need in order to keep functioning as human beings.” The book goes on to make valid points about the very survival of our species being directly linked to this ability to make and snap decisions. The ability is presented as an efficiency of a high level of sophisticated thinking and is made clear with a variety of examples as well as psychological and physiological experiments explained further in the book.

In a blink of an eye, we can and often do make conclusion about the world around us. Why is it then that we are so afraid to act on what we know is good and right sometimes? Why do so many people discount their higher intuitive knowings? It seems that we are all a bit like the cowardly lion who seemed shy of his decisions until he gained the confidence of his friends and realized that they needed him to be brave and to take important risks to support their survival.

Be brave then, go forward with determination and leave doubt behind, for it has come to light that you can and often do know just what to do with all those issues which are ahead. Just take a moment to connect with the intuitive higher adaptive unconscious and know that you were right all along.

Roar!!!