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We’ve all had that feeling. Facing a decision, not knowing which way to turn when suddenly the answer appears out of the blue, a possible solution magically materializes or an idea crystallizes from nowhere.

We don’t think it through, use our intellect to gather evidence or proof – we “just know.” That is intuition at work. We all possess it to some degree and it comes into our lives without warning.

Oxford American Dictionary defines intuition as “the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning.” OAD goes on the say that intuition is “a thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning.”

I recently came across a quote from Buckminster Fuller where he describes intuition in the following way: “Call intuition cosmic fishing. You feel a nibble, then you’ve got to hook the fish.”

And that sums up why intuition works so well for some us and not so well for others. There is nothing wrong with our instincts. We all have that little voice that says “try this,” but if we don’t follow through and actually try it, we never know if the intuitive idea could have been our salvation. We’ve got to “hook the fish.”

I can think of many instances in my life where following my intuition has made the difference between success and failure. And there have been many times where I didn’t follow up on intuition, leaving me with no idea whether it could have helped or not. Frankly, I’d rather know.

And when I think of the times I have followed my intuitive instincts, I can’t think of any situation that wasn’t improved. There may have been some, but they are long forgotten. As Mark Twain said, “I am an old man and have known many troubles, most of which never happened.”

One thing I can tell you is that some people’s instincts are better than others. That is because they use them. Like any ability, physical or mental, intuition is strengthened by use and weakened by non-use.

One of the most important aspects of putting your intuition to work in your life is just to have the courage to use it. In a world dominated by technology, we tend to look for “proof” that something will work before we use it. Keep an open mind – give this gift from our ancient past the latitude to do what it is best at.

Get used to using your intuition, let it play a bigger part in the decisions you make and you will find that it quickly starts to give you better information more often. Strengthening your intuitive muscle will give you a tool to use when reasoning fails or sputters.

And sometimes, “just knowing” what to do in a situation is worth it’s weight in gold.