intuition


Temptation or Intuition? Guiding Clients to Discern the Difference

A close-up shot of a shiny, red apple, perhaps partially obscured by a leaf.
The apple is positioned against a dark, mysterious background to create a sense of intrigue with dramatic lighting.
The text reads "All temptations are founded either in Hope or Fear." (Thomas Fuller)

The quote of the day is:

“All Temptations Are Founded Either in Hope or Fear” (Thomas Fuller)

Thomas Fuller (1608–1661) was an English historian and clergyman known for his wit and wisdom. His writings often reflect deep insights into human nature, making this quote particularly relevant for coaching conversations.

Temptation is a compelling force, often urging action before we’ve had time to reflect. Thomas Fuller’s observation highlights how hope and fear shape our decisions. As coaches, we frequently encounter clients caught between these forces—unsure whether their next move is a genuine step forward or a reaction driven by fear. How can we help them distinguish between an intuitive nudge and a fear-fuelled temptation?

Recognizing the Voice of Intuition

Intuition often feels like a calm, quiet sense of knowing. It doesn’t demand action, but gently encourages it. In contrast, fear-driven temptation tends to feel urgent and overwhelming, pushing clients toward decisions misaligned with their deeper values. Coaches can help clients pause and explore their inner dialogue.

Key Questions to Ask:

  • How does this decision feel in your body? Calm or tense?
  • If fear wasn’t a factor, would you still choose this path?
  • What would happen if you waited a little longer before acting?

These questions help clients differentiate between impulsive reactions and thoughtful, intuitive responses.

The Role of Hope

Hope is a powerful motivator but can sometimes be mistaken for wishful thinking. When driven by hope, clients often feel expansive and motivated. Yet hope can also lead to temptations that aim to escape discomfort rather than pursue meaningful growth.

Exploring Hope with Clients:

  • What future are you envisioning? Does it align with who you’re becoming?
  • Are you pursuing this path because it excites you or feels like the only option?
  • How does this hope connect to what you would love?

When grounded in purpose, hope can inspire courageous action. When fuelled by avoiding pain, it may divert clients from what truly matters.

The Fear Trap

Fear often disguises itself as practicality or necessity, insisting that clients “must” act now to avoid loss. Recognising this pattern is crucial for breaking free from fear-driven decisions.

Strategies to Uncover Fear:

  • Encourage clients to name their fears. What’s the worst that could happen?
  • Consider the long-term impact. Will this choice still matter in a year?
  • Explore alternative perspectives. Could fear be clouding judgment?

When clients acknowledge their fearful thinking, they often find clarity and courage on the other side.

Intuition as a Guide

A common outcome I see in coaching is clients learning to recognise and trust their inner wisdom. Intuition is a gift available to all of us. By distinguishing between hope, fear, and intuition, clients make choices with greater confidence and authenticity.

Final Reflection

Temptation often disguises itself as urgency, practicality, or even hope, making it difficult to discern from genuine intuition. Helping clients navigate this distinction can be transformative. By guiding them to pause, reflect, and listen to their inner wisdom, we empower them to make choices rooted in clarity and authenticity.

How do you guide clients to distinguish between intuitive nudges and fear-driven temptations? Is this distinction relevant in your coaching practice? I believe this question can spark rich conversations, helping clients tune into their deeper knowing, you guide them beyond the pull of hope or fear and toward their true path.

About Jen Waller

Jen Waller

Jen Waller is a transformative coach dedicated to empowering individuals to get out of their own way and make a meaningful impact in the world.

If this post has intrigued you or sparked questions about distinguishing between fear, hope, and intuition in your decisions, Jen offers a supportive space to explore these insights further. Connect with her to discover how transformative coaching can guide you toward clarity, confidence, and empowered choices

Discover how Jen can support you to get out of your own way here.


Intuition Unseen: Coaching Questions about the Invisible

The image features a beautifully ethereal and colorful sky with fluffy clouds tinted in shades of purple, pink, and blue, conveying a dreamy and surreal atmosphere. The clouds are illuminated from behind or within, suggesting the presence of light not visible in the frame, which enhances the mystical and otherworldly feel of the image. Centered in this vibrant cloudscape is a quote by Confucius: "How abundantly do spiritual beings display the powers that belong to them! We look for them, but do not see them; we listen to, but do not hear them; yet they enter into all things, and there is nothing without them."

The quote of the day is:

“How abundantly do spiritual beings display the powers that belong to them! We look for them, but do not see them; we listen to, but do not hear them; yet they enter into all things, and there is nothing without them.” (Confucius)

Questions For Coaches:

  • How does this quote resonate with you?
  • What practices do you use to become more attuned to the subtle influences around you?
  • How can tuning into your intuition or inner guidance help you make better career choices?

Bonus Questions:

  • How do you align with the belief that spiritual insight is always present, even if not immediately perceivable?
  • What role, if any, does spirituality play in how you handle life’s challenges and uncertainties?
  • How do you guide clients to recognise that not everything of value is visible or immediately understood?

About Jen Waller

Jen Waller

Jen Waller is a transformative coach dedicated to empowering individuals to get out of their own way and make a meaningful impact in the world. With an impactful, nurturing coaching style, Jen supports clients in unlocking their potential and achieving their goals. As an experienced coach and trainer, she guides clients from self-doubt to success.

Discover how Jen can support you to get out of your own way here.


Listening to Your Inner Guide: Tuning Into Your Truest Self

The image features a stack of smooth, rounded stones carefully balanced on top of each other, forming a zen-like tower. These stones are placed on a rustic wooden surface, possibly part of an old bridge or a similar structure. The background is softly blurred, filled with a bokeh effect of shimmering light that creates a dreamy and serene ambiance. This setting evokes a sense of tranquility and harmony, suggesting a moment of quiet reflection or meditation. Above this peaceful scene, there's a quote by Jane Austen: "We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be."

The quote of the day is:

“We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” (Jane Austen)

I don’t know about you, but when I’m truly in my element, working at my best, everything flows effortlessly. It’s not that there are no challenges, but rather that the next steps seem unmistakably clear. I just seem to know what to do, as if I’ve an inner guide pointing in the best direction.

Yet, there are times when I find myself preemptively strategizing about serious and important matters—times when I feel compelled to intellectually map out each move before taking action.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, it’s during these moments of flow that I tend to do my best work, and it’s certainly more enjoyable. This quote from Jane Austen captures what seems to me a universal truth often overlooked in our quest for direction and clarity: the most reliable source of guidance is nestled within us. In a world brimming with advice at the click of a button, it’s essential to remember that our inner wisdom holds unparalleled value. It also explains my experience of being in flow versus intellectually figuring things out.

Seeking Guidance Internally vs. Externally

It’s easy to seek guidance from external sources—friends, mentors, or even experts in various fields. While these sources can provide valuable perspectives, they often do not fully resonate with our unique experiences and internal truths. The path to genuine self-assurance and decision-making clarity lies in understanding and trusting the voice of our own inner guide.

So often, I find that when I listen to those nudges from my intuition, I end up taking routes that I would never have considered had I thought everything through logically in advance. It’s often like it acts as a trusted friend who can see the bigger picture and is pointing me in directions I just haven’t seen.

Intuition as a Natural Inner Guide

Intuition is often described as a gut feeling, a subtle guide that nudges us in the right direction when logical explanations fall short. There is often talk about learning to trust your intuition; I would suggest that the first step is simply to listen to your inner guide —you always have the choice of whether to follow it or not. The more I listen and notice, the more trust naturally follows. Trusting has never seemed like something that I had to “do.” At some stage, it just became obvious that I trusted those nudges I got.

As I type this, it seems to me that there are infinite depths to explore with this idea. By infinite, I simply mean that there is always more to see, more to expand into. So, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, in the future, I have seen this at an even deeper level, that I would describe my trust as even stronger. But for now, I’m not going to judge where I am now and just keep listening—it seems a much more pleasant experience than any self-judgment thinking, making up, and comparing how I think this “should be.” So if, out of habit, you have innocently found yourself doing that—know that you don’t have to!

About Jen Waller

Jen Waller

Jen Waller is a transformative coach dedicated to empowering individuals to get out of their own way and make a meaningful impact in the world. With an impactful, nurturing coaching style, Jen supports clients in unlocking their potential and achieving their goals. As an experienced coach and trainer, she guides clients from self-doubt to success.

Discover how Jen can support you to get out of your own way here.


Embracing Intuition: Navigating Life’s Uncertainties

This image is split in half on the right is a quote written in black text on a white background. On the left is a black and white photograph of Zora Neale Hurston, an African American lady, taken in the late 1930's/ early 1940s when she would have been in her late 40s early 50s. The photograph is taken outside and from a slightly lower angle so although she is looking forward its not at the camera. She is wearing a hat at a slight angle and her hair is cut short in an age appropriate style. she is partially smiling.
She is wearing a top that is showing as grey and the weave of the material is visible. Around the neckline are circular metal embelishments.
The text to the right reads: “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” (Zora Neale Hurston)

Happy Sunday! Today’s quote is:

“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” (Zora Neale Hurston)

Hurston’s words capture the essence of the ever-changing nature of our experiences, where some periods are characterized by questions and uncertainties, while others bring clarity and understanding.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your intuition guided you towards a decision, even when logic seemed to suggest otherwise? This silent knowing, this deep sense of intuition, is a powerful guiding force that often defies rational explanation. It’s a whisper from within, nudging us in a certain direction, urging us to trust the process even when the path ahead seems unclear.

Intuition

Intuition, often described as our inner knowing or gut feeling, is a powerful yet subtle force that guides us through life’s uncertainties. It’s that quiet voice within us that whispers guidance when logic falls short. For example, think back to a time when you had to make a significant decision, and despite all the pros and cons laid out before you, something deep inside urged you in a particular direction. Perhaps it was a job offer that seemed perfect on paper, but your intuition told you it wasn’t the right fit. Or maybe it was a relationship that looked ideal from the outside, but your inner voice warned you of underlying issues.

These moments of intuitive insight often come when we least expect them, and they can be easy to dismiss or ignore, especially when they contradict our rational thoughts. However, learning to trust our intuition is essential for navigating life’s twists and turns with grace and confidence.

For me, this sense of intuition or innate wisdom recently manifested in my decision to pursue a Transformative Coaching certification. Despite feeling that the timing was not ideal from a logical standpoint, I couldn’t ignore the persistent pull towards this opportunity. Trusting my intuition, I took the leap, and as I embarked on this journey, I began to understand the subtle yet profound ways in which our inner wisdom shapes our experiences.

In embracing the uncertainty of life, we cultivate a deeper sense of trust in ourselves and the universe. We learn to listen to the whispers of our intuition, recognizing that they often lead us towards growth and self-discovery. It’s about surrendering to the unknown, letting go of the need for certainty, and allowing ourselves to be guided by the wisdom of our inner compass.

Ultimately, learning to trust our intuition is a journey of self-discovery and growth. It requires patience, practice, and a willingness to lean into the unknown. But as we cultivate a deeper connection with our inner guidance, we gain a powerful tool for navigating life’s complexities with grace and confidence.

Moreover, being comfortable with the unknown doesn’t always mean passively waiting for answers to come to us; rather, it’s an active engagement with the process of self-exploration and discovery. It can be about asking the right questions, exploring new perspectives, and being open to the lessons that each experience brings. Just like when googling for an answer and changing the wording of the request can produce a different set of answers – sometimes the requests we make to our own inner knowing/wisdom can seem logical to our intelect but changing that wording can produce different answers.

As we navigate through the uncertainties of life, let’s remember that every question, every moment of doubt, is an opportunity for growth and self-awareness. It can be in these apparent moments of vulnerability that we can discover our true strength and resilience, and it’s through embracing the unknown that we unlock the door to endless possibilities.

Whilst it may appear that time has a strict linear progression of cause and effect, in my experience we don’t always know the answers at a time when we think that we “should”. Which is what I think Zora Neale Hurston is pointing towards with this quote. Sometimes the answer to explain what our wisdom is guiding is to do isn’t actually revealed to a later time.

In conclusion, Zora Neale Hurston’s quote serves as a poignant reminder of the cyclical nature of life, where questions and answers intertwine to shape our journey. By embracing uncertainty, trusting our intuition, and remaining open to the mysteries of the unknown, we embark on a path of self-discovery and transformation that leads us towards deeper understanding and fulfillment.

About Jen Waller

Jen Waller

Jen Waller is on a mission to support, nurture and encourage coaching skills and talents from non-coach to coach and beyond.

As an experienced coach and trainer Jen is happy to utilise all skills at her disposal to assist clients from getting out of their own way and making a difference in the world with their coaching. Find out more about the support Jen offers here.


7 Things Confident Coaches Do 1

In today’s guest post coach Annie Ashdown, known in the press as “The Confidence Expert”, shares some of her expertise and knowledge in:

7 Things Confident Coaches Do

by Annie Ashdown

"7 Things Confident Coaches Do" by Annie Ashdown

I asked my friend who is a very close personal friend of Paul McKenna’s the secret of Paul’s success. He responded ‘Paul is not at all arrogant, but aside from a passion to help others, he has loads of self – confidence, high self -esteem and stacks of self – belief. That’s the secret behind his success, no question!’

Confident coaches are regular women/men with flaws, shortcomings and defects. Every-one experience’s challenges and bad days, however when you have self- confidence, high self –esteem and oodles of self- belief you do not allow anything to hold you back. Not everyone wants to become a high profile coach or a New York Times best -selling author or a world famous leader, but confident coaches become a leader in their own world. Confidence is an essential component to create a healthy relationship with yourself and in turn that inspires and motivates clients to do the same.

All that is fed into your subconscious mind between the ages of 0 to 5 is done so without your consent or knowledge which means that we internalise everything as true, and record this as our own assessment of ourselves. Unfortunately for many of us we were fed negativity from an early age and consequently end up listening to and believing our inner critic, which feeds us lies and tells us that we are not important.

  1. They consider themselves important.

Confident coaches respect themselves and do so from looking inside at their shortcomings, rather than denying them. They are aware that by feeling important, they are behaving authentically and respecting their values instead of compromising them to gain external validation from their clients, peers and colleagues.

Confident coaches;

  • Focus on their positive characteristics.
  • Tell themselves they are perfectly imperfect.
  • Cherish and honour their principles.
  • Respect their own needs and wants.
  • Advertise their strengths, not their weaknesses.

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  1. They speak to themselves with kindness.

Confident coaches praise and acknowledge themselves; they are cool about their imperfections. They are aware that if they are unkind to themselves, they will subconsciously attract others to be unkind to them.

Confident coaches;

  • Are aware of their triggers, beliefs and habits and reframe them.
  • Are patient with themselves
  • Record every success – whatever size in their mind or in a success journal.
  • Repeat over and over again ‘I am worthy’.
  • Let go of the compulsive need for approval.

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  1. They are comfortable with being authentic.

Confident coaches have self-acceptance. They embrace themselves as they are regardless of mistakes or their weaknesses. They do not believe they will be rejected if they reveal their true self, they know only too well no one bids for a fake, the real deal is always more valuable.

Confident coaches;

  • Make amends to themselves.
  • Understand fake is last season.
  • Appreciate, validate, accept, respect, cherish, like and honour themselves regardless of how others treat them.
  • Believe self – acceptance is the key.
  • Know that all that glisters is not gold and therefore don’t waste time comparing and despairing.

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  1. They trust themselves and their intuition.

Confident coaches are their own master and are always best friends with their inner voice. They are comfortable being in charge of what they think, do and say, as they trust themselves. They know their intellectual mind is strong, yet their intuition is way wiser and far more accurate and they have learnt that the aim of their intuition is to get past their intellect.

Confident coaches;

  • Feel aligned with their purpose.
  • Practise self-discipline and focus.
  • Understand the difference between logic, feelings and intuition.
  • ALWAYS listen to their inner voice.
  • Constantly challenge all negative assumptions.

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  1. They keep their expectations high.

Confident coaches know persistence and self-belief is the main pillar of success. Confident people have indestructible self-belief. They feel worthy of success, happiness, prosperity and a thriving coaching business.

Confident coaches;

  • Know they have to change their perceptions to change their life.
  • Are crystal clear about their individuality and preferences.
  • Are not discouraged or disheartened by rejections.
  • Let go of self-defeating beliefs about what might happen in the future.
  • Say over and over again ‘I am good enough.’

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  1. They take responsibility for their own lives.

Confident coaches know they have a choice to face and everything and run or face everything head on, to be stressed, or be grounded, be lazy or be fit, be overweight, or be slim, get enough sleep, or be constantly tired, respond or react. They know that in order to be emotionally sober they have to be accountable for their life and understand self-responsibility is the foundation of empowerment.

Confident coaches;

  • Own up when they are wrong
  • Set boundaries with others.
  • Know self-care is not selfish, it is self-loving.
  • Don’t wait to be rescued, instead they take action.
  • Are aware they have a constant responsibility to be good to themselves.

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  1. They are assertive

Confident coaches feel comfortable expressing how they feel. They do not waffle, or feel obliged to justify, defend or explain their reasoning. They know their rights, feel worthy, important and deserving. They are willing to be open and to compromise, as they don’t expect to get their own way every time. They have an ‘I like you, but I like me too’ approach. They face the other person, look them in the eye, and are aware of the power of the spoken word so they use words like ‘could’ ‘might’ instead of ‘should’ ‘must’.

Confident coaches;

  • Choose their thoughts carefully.
  • Use anger to be assertive in a non -aggressive way
  • Have reasonable expectations of themselves and others.
  • Decide what they need and are courageous enough to ask for it
  • Take advantage of all opportunities

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Final word from Annie

My hope is that you begin to know who you are and change the messages you tell yourself and start giving yourself permission to be authentic. I would like you to find the peace and joy I have found with a clear mind and a steady heart. This is not a magic formula, you have to make it happen.

Show Up, Speak Up, – It’s Your Time to Shine.

Annie Ashdown

The Confidence Expert

www.annieashdown.com

About Annie Ashdowne

Annie AshdownAnnie Ashdown is dubbed by the press as ‘The Confidence Expert’ and for the past 10 years has been teaching Celebrities, Lawyers, Bankers, CEO’s, Entrepreneurs, Business owners, and Corporate employees the way to gain that all importance self-confidence and self–belief.

Based in Harley St, London, Annie is the UK’s leading Confidence coach, and is an emotional freedom technique practioner, theta healer and master clinical hypnotherapist.
Annie’s engaging personality and real life experiences have made her popular with the media and she co-hosted 13 episodes of Kyle’s Academy for ITV1 and was Resident coach on Bump and Grind, Sky1. Annie is a regular guest on BBC radio as well as a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers and was a judge in 2009 on Britain’s Next Top Coach.

It was after working through her own difficulties Annie recognized the tangible benefits that coaching can bring to so many parts of our lives. Following a successful career in film and TV between Los Angeles, New York and London, Annie hit rock bottom around her chronic eating disorder. This sparked a journey of self-discovery and making profound changes, Annie changed career direction in order to help others maximize their potential. Her tough love
approach is practical and down to earth, tempered with a dose of humor and more often than not related to her own life experiences.

In addition to her 1-1 client sessions, Annie has been called upon to design and deliver seminars and workshops for organizations including: Nokia, Vertu, Yahoo, Chelsea Football Club, Business Link, AMEX, Orange, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and DWP.

In 2010 Annie was the first to introduce a team of 50 coaches nationwide to Job Centre Plus, helping motivate and inspire professional executives back to work. Annie is a regular on the speakers’ circuit, and was invited in November 2011 to be key speaker at the prestigious Everywoman’s 12th annual conference for 500 female entrepreneurs sponsored by Nat West and Marie Claire magazine.

Annie is fully insured and a member of British Institute of Hypnotherapy, Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapists, NHS Directory, CHCH, GHR, Register for Evidence Based Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy, Association Of Meridian Energy Therapists, and Complimentary Medical Association.

Annie’s book The Confidence Factor -7 Secrets of Successful People is in top 10 best sellers chart in WH Smith and is available on Amazon, in WH Smith, Waterstones, and all good bookstores in UK, Barnes and Noble, USA and Easons in Ireland. Her debut book Doormat Nor Diva Be – How to take back control of your life and your relationships was published in Sept 2011.

Annie has two comp tickets to give away for her talk at Well Being Show at Earls Court sponsored by Psychologies Magazine on 26 May. Go to www.AnnieAshdown.com to receive the 26 page FREE report ‘Master the art of self -belief’, a FREE hypnotic mp3 and details of the comp tickets. (Please note that there is only one week for the comp tickets so act now if it’s of interest to you.)

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