The Gut...A Small, But Powerful Contributor

Walking along a sidewalk of a busy street you suddenly get the feeling that you should pause for a second to look around.  You follow that feeling, step to the side of the walkway and pause, just as book shelf tumbles onto the sidewalk in front of you, coming from the doorway of a small storefront.

Taking an multiple choice exam, you stumble across a question you have never seen before.  Your hand instantly moves to mark the "B" bubble - but you pause. Retract. Move to the right and fill in the "C" bubble.  You receive your test back the next day.  The answer was "B".  You failed by One-point.

Intuition. Instinct. Gut feeling. 6th Sense.  There are several names for it.  Whatever you call it, there is no denying its existence - or its uncanny aptitude.  Whether it be everyday decisions about what to cook for dinner, or which shirt to wear; Or, about once-in-a-lifetime decisions that present anything but logical solutions.  Go with your Gut!

That "Gut Feeling" is there for a reason.  Who or what put it there is anybody's guess.  Yet, it is there, and it has proven to save more than one man's head.  

When I was in the Training Academy for the LA Co Lifeguards, one of the mantra ingrained in the front of my memory was..."When in doubt, GO!"  Those four words have served me many times over the years on the beach.  However, this is not all-encompassing.  In fact, it is pretty unique to that field of my life, and the opposite is more true outside that environment.

When in Doubt - Don't!  Crossing the street. Eating some questionable produce. Whatever the case may be.  That 'little voice', or gut feeling, is probably right.  The human instinct has kept the species alive for thousands of years.  It might know a thing or two about survival.  Trust it. Go with it.