How often have you ignored a hunch? Dismissed an intuitive feeling or a pre-cognitive dream? Each time you ignore your inner knowing, you weaken its voice within you.

Your intuition is like a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it gets. The less you use it, the weaker it gets.

When I first started working as a career coach in the 1970s, I got intuitive hunches and visions about my clients. I saw them involved in careers other than the ones they were currently pursuing. I had dreams about them and knew their life stories before I worked with them.

But because I wasn’t comfortable owning my gift, I would ignore my intuitive guidance and function as a conventional career coach, asking my clients questions and making them fill out endless sheets of information.

Once I began honoring my intuitive insights and immediately sharing them with clients, my intuition became more and more powerful. I learned to prepare for my clients’ sessions by meditating on their paths to see their journeys, feel their gifts and talents, and download guidance designed especially for them.

Today, this intuitive insight helps my clients and students tremendously. Whenever a certain feeling or image pops into my field, I share it. Over the years, I’ve found that the most seemingly illogical tidbit of information that I receive for clients is often the most helpful. I’ve learned to trust what I get.

Today, I follow those hunches in every session and while making every decision in my own life–from where to have dinner to when to start a new book or what outfit to wear.

Several years ago, I spent a week in England visiting my daughter while she was studying at Oxford. I was by myself and had free time on my hands, so I bought a rail pass. From my base in Oxford, I decided to visit as many places in England as possible–guided by intuition.

Each morning, I intuitively decided where I would visit by meditating and picturing various cities and choosing the one that felt right. Once I arrived in a city, I continued to trust my gut. Each time I followed a certain street, took a particular turn, or stopped into a certain restaurant that felt right, my intuition rewarded me with a wonderful experience.

From fabulous meals to meant-to-be conversations, to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and amazing new friends, my entire trip was an extraordinary experience. I even followed my intuition when waiting for buses (Did I miss that bus or not? Pause… Listen to the inner voice. Notice that feeling in my gut. OK, keep waiting for the bus.)

My intuition was ALWAYS right. By following my intuitive travel sense, I created a magical and divinely guided trip.

My favorite part was the day I spent in Liverpool. A lifelong Beatles fan, I arrived in Liverpool without reservations for the famed “History of the Beatles” guided bus tour.

During that extraordinary day of following my intuition, I received a free ticket to the sold-out Beatles tour, got a free sack lunch for the trip, and struck up a friendship with Yoko Ono’s hand-appointed guardian for John Lennon’s childhood home. It was one of the most amazing days of my life.