At the end of last year, when my Mum told me she was having a hip operation, my response wasn’t something I reasoned my way into.
It was immediate. Clear.
I needed to be home.
Over the three weeks I spent at my parents’ house supporting her recovery, I kept returning to that moment, and what we really mean when we talk about ‘gut feeling.’
I have been fascinated by Herbert Simon’s research on intuition/gut feelings “the brain recognizing familiar patterns from past experience, to make quick decisions, often in complex environments.”
In an ever faster, more distracted and complex world, our lived experience and inner signals can become anchors of truth and reliability.
Here’s what I learned.
1. Gut feeling is rooted in lived experience
Research shows that intuition is our ability to rapidly draw on stored patterns from past experience. It’s not as mystical as I once thought; it’s embodied intelligence. We feel it in the body because it’s processed faster than conscious thought. The more lived experience we have – especially navigating complexity and pace – the more reliable our inner signals become.
2. Patience is a skill
You can’t rush healing, learning, or integration. Patience is an active practice: staying present without trying to control the outcome. Slowing down showed me how often urgency masks discomfort, and how patience can reconnect us to what actually matters.
3. Support systems matter
Being at home reminded me that who we are isn’t formed in isolation. Whether through family, chosen family, or close community, we need spaces where we’re not performing — where we can simply be.
4. Perspective often comes from stepping out of the system
Stepping out of my usual environment disrupted my default thinking. Different rhythms, conversations, and routines created space to observe the way of things, and what changes were needed to support the shifts I needed to make.
5. We can do hard things — when we stop trying to do all the things
Balancing work, care, and responsibility was possible only by letting go of non-essentials. I was reminded that capacity isn’t about endurance; it’s about alignment. Focusing on the main thing and allowing myself the grace to let go of the rest.
6. Presence is the greatest gift
Not fixing. Not managing. Just being there. In a world obsessed with outputs, being fully present can be the most meaningful contribution.
“I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel I am right. I do not know that I am.” ~ Albert Einstein
