At some point in our lives, we all arrive at a crossroads.
To leave or stay in a relationship, accept or deny a job offer, or remain in your home or move. These are the decisions you’ll have to make time and time again.
Big decisions don’t always get easier, but you can make decisions that are wiser.
Most people make life decisions based on their mental intellect alone, but this is only one piece of the puzzle. When you rely solely on logic, you ignore the wisdom that lives within your intuition, emotions, and body.
I first read about the 4 types of intelligences in Lissa Rankin’s book Sacred Medicine: A Doctor’s Quest to Unravel the Mysteries of Healing. She called them the “4 whole health intelligences”. When combined, they offer a holistic approach to the decision-making process.
Let’s look at the 4 types of intelligences and how they communicate with us…
- Mental Intelligence says, “What is the right thing to do?”
- Intuitive Intelligence says, “What signs have I received?”
- Emotional Intelligence says, “What feels true for me now?”
- Somatic Intelligence says, “How does it feel in my gut? Do I feel open or contracted?”
Relying on your dominant type of intelligence alone leads to analysis paralysis. It’s easy to overthink and over-complicate things when you’re afraid of making the “wrong” decision. When your mind, intuition, emotions, and body work together, you can make a wise decision that is aligned with all parts of you.
Your intelligence works best when all parts are in harmony.
I had the opportunity to tap into my inner wisdom when making a big decision with my husband earlier this year. If I hadn’t trusted all 4 types of my intelligences to make this major life change, we wouldn’t be back in Atlanta today.
Here’s the story of how we decided it was time to move back to Atlanta.
Life has taken my husband and me from Israel to Europe, Atlanta, New York, and back to Atlanta again. We lived in Atlanta for 15 years before becoming empty nesters. Once our children moved away, it was time for us to start a new adventure. We officially became New Yorkers.
We lived in Brooklyn for 7 years and never once considered leaving. We loved the energy of the city, the culture, and the friends we had made. Then, after teaching my classes only virtually, it was time to go back to teaching in person. We traveled to Atlanta and spent a week teaching, enjoying the city and the loving community we left there when we moved.
One day after teaching a class, my husband was driving us back to our hotel when I suddenly received an intuitive hit that we would be really happy if we moved back.
He loved living in New York, so I hesitated to raise the question with him. But I decided to follow my intuition and said, “If we ever moved back to Atlanta, where would we live?” We agreed that IF we moved, we would like to live closer to Midtown than we did before.
We were living in our new gorgeous, Atlanta apartment four month later.
But it didn’t happen overnight.
I connected with my 4 types of intelligences as we contemplated moving. I tapped into my mental intelligence by working through the Pain Gain Model. I connected with my somatic intelligence through Body Testing. I tuned into my emotional intelligence through a guided visualization that helped me envision the next chapter of our lives. My intuitive intelligence was the glue that solidified our decision.
After spending 7 days collecting all the answers I received from my different types of intelligences, it became clear that moving back was the right thing to do. My husband and I were ready to move back.
The moving process flowed smoothly! We’re thrilled to have found “home sweet home” in Atlanta again. We found a gorgeous apartment in Buckhead, revisited all of our favorite spots, and were welcomed back by old friends and the local Beacons of Change community with open arms. We made a wise life decision.
