1. Become a better eavesdropper. One way to increase awareness is to develop the habit of eavesdropping on yourself. You know what I mean, don't you? Tune in to the constant narration going on in the back of your head.


2. Ask a better question. Once you get clear on what's going on, you'll probably be inspired to do something about it. But what? And how? It's easy. Just think of a question that, if answered, would provide the resolution you need. Then watch and wait for the answer to show up.


3. Observe your surroundings. Sometimes the answer to your most pressing questions can be right under your nose. It's just a matter of recognizing a resource or an opportunity. No matter how obscure your need seems, the solution is very likely close at hand.


4. Try something (really) different. Read a magazine on a subject you know little about. Shop at a store you've never been in. Take a class in something outside your usual interests -- welding, stained glass, cooking, etc. Try something you've never considered. Observe all the while.

Excerpted from Stress Solved! 42 Tips to Wake Up Your Intuition, Inspire Creative Solutions, and Pull the Plug on Stress by Elizabeth Eckert

So really. Who's more of an expert on your life than you are?

Ask your mom, ask your friends, ask your online buds, look it up on the Internet, read a book, flip to a different channel.

Look. You do need input from "out there." We all do. Nobody expects you to be an expert at everything!

Yet when it comes to your own life, sometimes the real trick is learning to change your focus from "out there" to "in here." To open your awareness and find the answers from inside. To get to the bottom of things as only you can.

There are a few tricks and stumbling blocks. It's true.

For one thing, it's hard to be objective about your own stuff. It's human nature to look at your life through a lens of preconceived notions and ideas that my have little basis in reality -- yet because you believe them, they're true for you.

The second thing is we're nearly all "addicted" to favoring the thinking part of our brain over our intuitive mind. Hint: Creative solutions, like the ones you're looking for, tend to come from your intuitive mind.

So while you're truly the expert on matters of your own life, it's sometimes helpful to have an objective outsider as your partner; your tour guide. At least till you learn to navigate the territory a little better on your own.

That's where the Intuitive Brainstorming comes in. You contact your own inner wisdom. You explore the deeper levels of what's going on -- not just the surface stuff you see every day already. And you snag the essence of a solution.

Bottom line: You come up with some clever way to get yourself out of this fix!

It usually comes as one of those "Aha!" moments, either during or shortly after your focus session. And it sets you on the road you want to walk down.

The road to fulfilling your dreams.

What is a symptom, really, but "anything you don't like?" (To borrow the words of Dr. Rick Jarrow.)

Let's say you have a cold. Your sore throat and sniffles are the symptoms. The cause of your symptoms is a virus. Take a little extra Vitamin C to boost your body's healing capacity and you'll likely feel better in a couple of days.

But you've simply treated the symptom. You haven't gotten to the bottom of the problem, and until you do, you're a sitting duck for another cold.

You'll be up and down, feeling "ucky" and wasting your precious life-force energy on healing a problem you didn't really need to get in the first place. When you could have been doing something far more fun!

Let's say the cause behind that virus's untimely arrival "just might" be that you let yourself get rundown working too many late nights last week. That's where the gold is! You're over-worked. You're not getting your rest. And your immune system is down.

Get a handle on your schedule, and your immune system will thank you. Even better, you might just become "that guy who never catches anything." An enviable position among your peers!

Now this "cause" can occur in any part of your life. Let's explore a couple more examples, just so everybody's clear on how this works.

It can happen anywhere -- like health:

Sarah's Weighty Situation: Sarah is 26 years old and overweight for her height. She has a family history of heart disease and diabetes. Sarah knows she'd feel better if she could lose some weight. She also knows that the "cause" of her overweight is eating too much of the wrong foods. Yet she just can't seem to stick to a sensible eating plan. She's tried!

Background: Sarah grew up in a home where her dad liked to "motivate" her with criticism. "You'll never amount to anything," he'd say. "You're just lazy."

Sarah worked and worked and worked at school to try and get her dad to see she really wasn't so lazy. Her wise grandma saw the whole thing. "You work so hard, Sarah," she'd say. "Eat something. You'll feel better."

So Sarah did. She still works hard today. And she still feels better, at least for the moment, when she eats something.

"Cause behind" analysis: The "cause" of Sarah's weight problem is eating too much. But the "cause behind" is compensation for her overwork and feelings of inadequacy. That's where her solution lies. Address the root cause, and it'll be much easier for Sarah to stay with a healthy eating plan. In fact, she might just enjoy her new lifestyle! She's just got to see it for herself.

Or work and finances...

Jimmey's Feeling the Pinch: Jimmey is in a real pickle this time. His rent is due tomorrow and there's not enough in his checking account to make the payment. To make matters worse, he's started feeling a little queasy. His head is throbbing. And it's time for work.

Background: Jimmey's glad he has a job to go to, but unfortunately it doesn't pay very well. He's not a spendthrift. In fact, his existence is rather spartan. The problem is he just isn't too great at keeping a job. He dropped out of high school to help his mom feed the little ones, and he just hasn't been able to get things together since.

"Cause Behind" analysis: Jimmey's symptom is lack of cash. The "cause" of his symptom is a string of low-paying jobs, which he invariably ends up losing. And the "cause behind" that is a combination of factors ... unfortunate ... that have left our well-intentioned friend feeling, acting, and living an unresourceful life.

Getting his GED and some job coaching would be a good start, but what Jimmey really needs is to build his self-image. He'll do it. Jimmey's a motivated guy. He's just got to see the situation clearly for himself.

Or relationships, creativity, peace of mind, you name it.

And the "symptoms" that show up (basically little nudges) can look like anything from a cluttered living room to a job you dislike to a heart attack to divorce court.

But you'll work it out. You've just got to see the situation clearly for yourself!

"Your words, whether spoken or held in your mind as thoughts, transfer energy through your body as vibrating energy waves. When your words are healthy, physical health is the result. When your words compromise your integrity or values, then your health is compromised as well.

"This is the deeper level of meaning or importance behind cleaning up your verbal act."

"Each thought you think; each word you speak forms a holographic model for your immune system, the physical tissue of your body, and even your DNA. It's been scientifically documented that DNA activates in response to your perceptions of the environment. Not an objective observer's perceptions, but yours." - Word Cures, Elizabeth Eckert

"Any time the physical mind is present, the communications of the spirit are at best obscure or do not come through to us at all." - Grandfather Stalking Wolf, quoted by Tom Brown, Jr, Awakening Spirits

"Your divine potential is the fullest expression of your spirit; it is discovering the depths of your capacity to create and to express love, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, and wisdom... Never revealing its full measure at once, your potential motivates you to discover the greater purpose and meaning of your life." - Sacred Contracts, Caroline Myss

"Anger at being forced beyond one's willingness is the essence of stress... All stress is self-imposed, since all stress-inducing situations are elected by your own free will... Dear Ones, the truth concerning stress is that you choose pain when you are afraid of delving into your holy life purpose." - Messages from Your Angels, Doreen Virtue

"The question 'Is it true or real?' has two answers: 'Yes' and 'No.' It is true if you believe it to be true. It is not true if you believe it isn't true. The glass is both half full and half empty, depneding on how you look at it. There are literally billions of thoughts we can choose to think." - You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay