Your Gut Is Whispering. Are You Listening?

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me for advice about a big decision she was grappling with: should she move to a new city for a job? She’d done her research—she had spreadsheets, pros-and-cons lists, even a flowchart (bless her Type A heart). But as she explained her options, she kept circling back to this hesitant, almost apologetic statement: “I don’t know. Something about it just doesn’t feel right.”

I paused and asked her, “What’s that feeling trying to tell you?” She looked at me like I’d just asked her to decode the Matrix. The truth was, she already knew. That quiet whisper? It wasn’t just noise. It was her gut trying to break through the clutter.

Gut Feel vs. Intuition

Most of us lump intuition and gut feel together, like they’re two friends who always show up to the party together. But they’re not the same thing. Not even close.

Intuition is like the party planner. It’s the process. It’s your brain quietly gathering clues, processing data, noticing patterns, and integrating your life experiences in the background. It’s the friend who remembers everyone’s dietary restrictions and knows where to get the best charcuterie board.

Gut feel, on the other hand, is the moment at the party when the music stops, and someone yells, “I think we should karaoke ‘Bohemian Rhapsody!’” It’s the flash of certainty, the moment of clarity, the voice saying, “This is the thing we’re doing now.”

Intuition works quietly behind the scenes, laying the groundwork. Gut feel bursts onto the stage, telling you it’s time to act.

That said, it’s not always easy to separate a genuine gut instinct from, say, anxiety about change, or the fear of making the wrong call. After all, not every weird feeling is a cosmic signal. (Sometimes it’s just your stomach asking, “Why did you eat gas station sushi?”)

The Whisper vs. the Noise

Gut feel doesn’t scream. It whispers. And that’s why so many of us miss it. We’re too busy listening to the loud voices: social media, colleagues, Aunt Cheryl who always has an opinion. Meanwhile, our gut is over there, holding a sign that says, “Hey, maybe consider this option,” but we’re too distracted to notice.

Think about it: how many times have you overridden that quiet voice because someone else’s was louder? You follow the "logical" path, or the one everyone says you should take, only to find yourself months down the line thinking, “I knew this wasn’t right. Why didn’t I listen to myself?”

Here’s what I told my friend: Your gut doesn’t care about spreadsheets. It cares about you. And when you give it space, it doesn’t just help you make better decisions—it helps you make your decisions.

Next time you’re faced with a big decision and something doesn’t sit right, even if you can’t articulate why, don’t dismiss it. Don’t convince yourself you need more data or more opinions. Instead, take a moment, tune out the noise, and listen. Chances are, you already know what to do.

Edge Thought of the Week

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” — Albert Einstein

This week, practice listening to the whispers. Start with something small: a decision you’ve been overthinking, like which task to tackle first at work or whether to say yes to a social invite. Instead of defaulting to logic or polling others, pause and ask, “What’s this feeling trying to tell me?” Don’t overthink it. Just notice, acknowledge, and see where it leads.

You might find that clarity comes not from doing more, but from simply tuning in.

Until next time,
Laura