Keeping In Touch With Your Intuition: C Imani Williams On How To Get In Touch With Your Intuition And When To Trust Your Intuition When Making Decisions
An Interview With Maria Angelova
Know your triggers — Being aware of and acknowledging triggers can help you pay closer attention when using intuition.
Intuition is defined as the ability to understand something immediately without the need for conscious reasoning. Where does intuition come from? Can it be trusted? How can someone tune in to their intuition? To address these questions, we are talking to business leaders, coaches, mental health experts, authors, and anyone who is an authority on “How to Get In Touch With Your Intuition And When To Trust Your Intuition When Making Decisions.” As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing C. Imani Williams.
As a Holistic Creative ARTS Life Coach, C Imani Williams utilizes the art of jewelry design with natural beads and stones as a form of trauma release with survivors. She has taught art to high school students in Detroit, MI, along with community-based workshops for survivors of sexual assault (youth and adults), women’s groups, and agencies serving at-risk youth. Williams holds graduate degrees in Counseling and Creative Non-Fiction writing and uses her self-published book, Rootwork: Triumph Over Trauma, in helping others to reclaim their voice through holistic creative arts. Visit cimaniwilliams.com for more information.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. My parents were both educators who supported and encouraged my writing. I won my first writing award in fifth grade for my fiction short story. I was invited to share my work before the Detroit City Council, where I received a key to the city and photos that I still treasure today.
I attended Eastern Michigan University (EMU), for undergraduate school where I earned a Bachelor’s in Communications/Journalism. I also earned my first graduate degree at EMU in Counseling. I returned to school years later earning an MFA in Creative Non-Fiction from Antioch University/Los Angeles.
I am a survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA), it has taken decades into adulthood to reclaim my voice, trust my intuition, and recover from the fallout of promiscuity, addiction (alcoholism and sex), and domestic violence, to relearn my worth and value. I help others with trauma release, and part of my service work includes being a Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), Speaker’s Bureau member.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite Life Lesson Quote is “To thine own self be true!” The quote is advice I use myself because it is the deepest essence of honoring self. To that end, I set intentions and practices that keep me grounded.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Iyanla Vanzant’s, book, Acts of Faith, is full of quotes and affirmations that I return to regularly as part of my self-care routine. Intention and consistency are two things I strive to keep in motion.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Let’s begin with a definition of terms so that each of us and our readers are on the same page. What exactly does intuition mean? Can you explain?
Intuition for me is a combination of quieting and listening for my Higher Power, and ancestors, and trusting my gut.
How would you define common sense? Are intuition and common sense related?
I define common sense as those things we know intuitively. I believe intuition and common sense are strongly related. They co-exist, in all of us, and it is up to us to pay attention to our patterns, set boundaries, walk in self-love, and practice self-care.
How are they different from each other?
Intuition and common sense differ from one another based on our childhood experiences, trauma — treated and untreated, and how we practice self-care.
What are the positive aspects of being in touch with your intuition? Can you give a story or example to explain what you mean?
Positive aspects of being in touch with your intuition include knowing yourself enough to trust that you will make the best decisions for yourself.
I have turned down job offers where an affinity for my race, gender, or sexuality could not be expressed. Consequently, I was known as the “Loud Black woman at the Queer publication, and as the “Loud Queer Woman”, at the Pro-Black publication. Unable to section myself off, I bring all of myself into the room.
Are there negative aspects to being guided by intuition? Can you give a story or example to explain what you mean?
There are negative aspects to being guided by intuition. If a person doesn’t set boundaries, being a helper can become overwhelming, even when the intentions are good. Taking on too much, not saying no, and being present without self-care can all be negative aspects of being guided by intuition.
Can you give some guidance about when one should make a decision based on their intuition and when one should use other methods to come to a decision?
In general, the longer a person has to make a decision based on their intuition, means they can process and set intentions on the outcome they want. If a decision has to be reached instantly, trust the strongest feelings.
From your experience or perspective, what are some of the common barriers that hold someone back from trusting their intuition?
Some of the common barriers that may hold someone back from trusting their intuition are low self-esteem, procrastination, denial, and a lack of boundary-setting and self-love.
Here is the central question of our discussion. What are five methods that someone can use to become more in touch with their intuition?
1 . Look. Deeper. — A person can become more in touch with their intuition by practicing self-care. Using intuition as a guide should include self-care, taking in the particulars, and then making a decision based on the present factors and desired outcomes.
2 . Know your triggers — Being aware of and acknowledging triggers can help you pay closer attention when using intuition.
3 . Stay calm. — Try and keep calm. The more grounded you are, you can feel and think. These are two things that allow you to center and focus so that you can feel your intuition and connect that with your thoughts for a desired outcome.
4 . Hold that thought! In an A-Ha moment, you may feel inspired to go with your first thought. Hold on! Sometimes internal wires can get crossed when taking in large amounts of emotional information. Take a second to breathe, categorize, and process, before reaching a conclusion you will act on.
5 . Celebrate the victories. Each time your intuition proves correct, celebrate that fact with a prayer of gratitude or an affirmation. Learning to flesh out situations, seeing a desired outcome, and listening to your body are all worth celebrating when our intuition is on point. You may not get it right every single time, but gratitude and acknowledgment of your work and the process deserve your recognition.
You are a person of significant influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
My movement would be centered in normalizing self-care, self-love, and raising awareness for mental health and trauma release.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Actor and Mental Health Advocate — Jennifer Lewis/the realness!!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Readers can follow me at cimaniwilliams across social media, and visit the website for freebies, courses, and art at cimaniwilliams.com.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
Keeping In Touch With Your Intuition: C Imani Williams On How To Get In Touch With Your Intuition A was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.