Trusting Your Intuition: The Braver Choice Between the Mind and the Heart

It’s funny how sometimes you stumble upon a page in your old journal, and it feels like you from the past left it there for a reason…a little reminder for "future you".

That’s exactly what happened to me a few days ago. I was flipping through my July entries (divine timing of discovering the things you need to hear or read or experience is real!) and I found this story. Reading it now, I realized how much I’ve grown since then… and how much I needed to relearn that same lesson again.

Because lately, something happened that didn’t sit right with me, a small moment that reminded me how important it is to keep trusting that quiet inner voice. And I am so glad I acted upon my intuition in that moment.

It reminded me of this story and helped me with the current event that happened to affirm my belief of trusting my inner intuition.

Maybe this story will remind you of a moment too, when your gut whispered something your mind didn’t yet understand. Stay with me till the end, and let’s see if you can spot those moments in your own life too. 😌

When My Intuition Spoke and I Actually Heard It

It was one of those soft July evenings. I was walking towards Old Port, my usual thinking route, my little pocket of peace, when I saw a woman coming from the opposite direction.

She looked familiar. I’d seen her before, the same face, the same eyes that asked strangers for change. I instinctively knew what was about to happen. And before she even said anything, I found myself slightly changing direction.

But she walked toward me anyway. “Do you have a coin?” she asked.

I said softly, “I’m sorry, I don’t.”

Then she asked again, “Can you buy me a drink?”

For a second, I froze.

Something in me wanted to say yes, but something else didn’t feel right. It wasn’t the question itself, it was the energy around it. My inner two selves were in conflict, but one of them, the intuitive one, was a bit ahead.

So I softly said no again and added, “Sorry.”

Have you ever been in that place too, where your heart wants to help but something deep inside quietly says, not this time? It’s confusing, right?

I looked at her face and eyes, and she seemed helpless. But her energy didn’t sit right with me. Then I just couldn’t look at her again as I started walking away, partly because I felt bad and partly because I wanted to get away as soon as possible.

As I reached Old Port and sat on my usual bench, guilt started creeping in.

That uneasy, heavy feeling that comes when you feel like you’ve done something unkind, even if you’re not sure why.

This view on that same July evening was breathtaking.🌙

And here’s the thing!!! Our intuition doesn’t always feel comfortable to us in the moment. Sometimes it looks like doubt, hesitation, or even guilt. But the lesson often reveals itself after.

Take a moment to pause and stay with me in this story while you think about it... 🌸

I knew I wasn’t someone who’d hesitate to help. I’ve always believed in giving, whether it’s time, kindness, or money. Then why did I say no?

I sat with my thoughts for a while. And then it hit me. I didn’t say no because I didn’t want to help. I said no because I didn’t want the encounter to stretch.

Because deep down, something about it felt off. My body had already decided long before my mind started making excuses.

Still, I couldn’t stop thinking, What if I just judged too soon? How can I be so unkind?

You know that spiral, right?

But later that week, life, or maybe the universe, sent me a gentle confirmation.

The Second Encounter

A few days later, I saw the same woman again. She was sitting near a convenience store, enjoying a cigarette in hand, and completely at ease. Her whole presence felt louder, somehow truer, almost unrecognizable from the quiet, helpless woman I’d met before.

The contrast was impossible to miss.

I couldn’t believe it was the same person. The face that once looked helpless now carried something sharper, almost smug, defiant.

And in that split second, everything made sense.

I felt an instant relief and quietly thanked Universe and myself for trusting that gut feeling.

I was protected from giving to what would’ve only deepened destruction.

Especially when I saw her with that cigarette, it hit me…she’d probably had the choice to buy food or a drink with whatever money she got, and she chose the cigarette instead.

That strange discomfort I’d felt when I had my first encounter with her? It was my intuition whispering, not this time.

I wasn’t being unkind, I was being guided.

That day, I realized something profound.

My intuition had already read the energy my eyes couldn’t yet see.

That’s what I want you to remember…your energy often knows before your logic catches up.

Don’t rush to silence it just because it doesn’t fit the story yet.

And also, don’t wait around trying to find proof for your gut feelings either. (Been there, not my best strategy, hehe.)

Sometimes the universe just wants you to vibe first, evidence later.

PS: I actually made a carousel post about this on my Instagram feed. Take a peek here if it resonates with you. 😌

The Voice Beneath the Noise

Since then, I’ve been paying attention to that feeling, that subtle nudge in your gut that tells you something before logic overpowers.

Because that’s what intuition is.

It’s your subconscious, the part of you that has recorded every experience, every heartbreak, every lesson, trying to protect you.

Think of it like how an AI model learns. It’s trained on endless data, not every single detail remembered consciously, but the essence of it distilled…patterns, responses, outcomes.

It learns from the patterns…what worked, what didn’t, what felt off.

That’s what our intuition does too. It’s our inner data scientist, collecting bits of our past and translating them into wisdom.

Our subconscious has quietly been collecting data from every lived experience, extracting the essence, and turning it into inner guidance. (Okay fine, that’s my inner tech-nerd talking, but tell me that’s not kinda magical? maybe your intuition’s been running on a quiet code this whole time too!)

Your conscious mind might not remember all the reasons, but your body does. It remembers what felt safe and what didn’t. And it whispers it back to you as a gut feeling.

Ignoring it is like teaching your body that its wisdom doesn’t matter.

Listening to it, even when it makes no logical sense, is how you rebuild that trust with yourself.

And this has been a significant aspect of the inner work I am doing.

Tiny Tales takeaway:

Sometimes trusting your intuition means choosing discomfort in the moment, but peace in the long run.

A Gentle Reminder

Looking back, I’m proud of myself for choosing trust over guilt that day, and again, just a few days ago, when something stirred up that same familiar feeling.

For saying no, even when my heart wanted to say yes, because my energy knew better.

Still learning, but always trusting that inner voice.

Now, whenever something feels misaligned, I don’t rush to rationalize it anymore. I take pause. I listen. I trust that my intuition knows something my mind doesn’t yet.

Because it always does.

And maybe this is also a gentle reminder for me to carry a Tim Hortons or some other gift card, just in case I meet someone who truly needs it. Because for a genuine cause, I’d love to help first.

But above everything, I’ll still trust my intuition, both in the small moments that feel sketchy or uncertain, and in the significant decisions of my life.

And if you’ve been doubting yourself lately, this is your sign.

That quiet whisper? That subtle discomfort? That instant yes or no that doesn’t make sense yet?

That’s your inner compass.

And it’s always been right. 🌙

So maybe pause for a second after reading this. Think about one time you did listen to your gut, or one time you didn’t. What did it teach you?

Drop it in the comments if you’d like; I’d love to read your story too.💜