Keeping In Touch with Your Intuition: Thomas J Strawser On How To Get In Touch with Your Intuition and When To Trust Your Intuition When Making Decisions
An Interview with Maria Angelova
Breathe deeply. Proper breathing is foundational to self-improvement and a powerful standalone tool. A simple technique: Find a quiet space, close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold it briefly, then exhale very slowly while repeating Peace… Harmony… Relax… Relax. Visualize tension flowing from your neck and shoulders into your breath and leaving your body as you breathe. Repeat a few times and become aware of the change in your body and mind. Practicing this daily fosters serenity and heightens 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 Thomas J. Strawser.
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’m youngest of eleven. My father committed suicide when I was two years old; I was reared in West Virgina by single mom with only income $210/ month social security check. My childhood was literally dirt poor but relatively happy. I started earning money picking berries and whatever odd jobs I could do when I was twelve. I played in rock and roll and jazz bands in high school; at fifteen, I started hitchhiking to Virginia during summer break to pick apples and peaches; and worked summers in brick factory at seventeen. I attended college on engineering scholarship and graduated top of class in chemical engineering.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Whenever I am disturbed, there’s something wrong with me.” This removes all excuses or blaming another person or event for how I feel. I am solely responsible for my feelings and actions.
I had to grow into applying this and learning how to not allow others to dictate my thoughts, feelings, and actions with not being submissive or a doormat. This ultimately helped me realize two things: 1) that my self-driven will, my ego, was the major source of my discontent and 2) that I possessed an inner spiritual power that could guide my thoughts, words and actions to be less self-centered.
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?
Louis L’amore and Zane Grey westerns and outdoor stories definitely influenced me. I dreamt of riding the high mountain country, being alone with the horses and nature, able to withstand great pain and endure personal sacrifice for the good of others and being entirely self-sufficient. It led me to times in my life where I experienced weeks in the wilderness with just horses enjoying fantastic adventures hardly imaginable in the 20th century. It also developed a deep and abiding connection with nature and my inner spirit.
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 is an innate ability to quickly understand situations, events and people without conscious reasoning. It’s usually a “gut feeling,” a simple knowing without thinking.
How would you define common sense? Are intuition and common sense related?
Common sense is a learned response of exhibiting good judgement that has developed through experience and may include a process of logical, systematic evaluations.
Intuition and common sense may overlap with both contributing to a specific response, but Intuition generally emerges as feeling and common sense as a thought.
How are they different from each other?
Common sense results from a mental process, from thinking, comparing and evaluating. Intuition functions more as a feeling, a sense of just knowing.
What are the positive aspects of being in touch with your intuition? Can you give a story or example to explain what you mean?
Our intuition can lead us to beneficial choices that logical thinking may not support.
I lost my wife of 21 years to cancer and was blessed to care for her in her final days. Grieving deeply, I realized I had always seen having a partner as part of me. As I emerged from grief, I chose to avoid relationships, fearing I might seek someone to fill the void. I focused on self-acceptance, realizing I didn’t need another person to feel whole. Through self-reflection, prayer, and meditation, I became content with being alone.
Before leaving for overseas work, I attended a spiritual conference. On the second day, I briefly spoke with a lovely woman. As I was leaving, we met again and talked late into the night. Around 3 a.m., I told her we would be together for life, and she simply replied, “Yes, we will.” Logic told me otherwise, but I followed my intuition. This year marks 23 years of an extraordinary relationship.
Are there negative aspects to being guided by intuition? Can you give a story or example to explain what you mean?
No. there are no negatives aspects to responding to true intuition, but we can face adverse reactions when we allow our ego, desires, or motives masquerade as intuition. Guided self-examination, open-mindedness, and willingness help us separate intuition from masquerading “self” presentations.
On the other side of this, we can face negative consequences if we ignore our intuition. For example:
While evaluating a new horse, I rode alone into Colorado’s Flat Top wilderness, as I had many times before. My wife voiced concern, but I assured her, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Camping at 10,000 feet, I prepared to ride despite a forecast storm dropping temperatures into the low teens. As I saddled Baldy, a heavy feeling hit me, but I dismissed it as weather concerns. A mile and a half in, I moved him to a canter — he exploded. After three jumps, he reared, slamming the saddle horn into my groin and throwing me onto rocks. I tried to rise; the pain was horrendous; I almost passed out. I had to move but couldn’t. Then I remembered the process I’d been teaching on how to elevate and control my thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I asked my inner spirit to help me rise, to walk through the pain and not lose consciousness. I’d stumble, cough up blood, almost lose consciousness, move another few steps, stop and seek inner help again. Over and over; tears falling, I slowly made my way to camp, got into my sleeping bag, and passed out.
Hours later, hunters found me, and I was airlifted to the hospital. My pelvis was split two inches, my hip fractured, and internal damage possible. The doctor said walking 1.5 miles was impossible — but I had done it. The experience taught me a hard lesson: always trust your 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?
Great question! Decision-making falls into two categories: conscious and unconscious.
Conscious decisions are deliberate — we weigh options using common sense or tools like pro/con lists and decision trees. Unconscious decisions, however, divide further: some stem from intuition, while others are ingrained habits formed through repetition, which can be helpful or harmful.
For example, we don’t consciously choose to worry — it becomes an automatic reaction. Similarly, anger and other emotional responses often arise from past patterns rather than conscious choice. Growth comes from recognizing and shifting these reactions into conscious decision-making.
Intuition, unlike unconscious habits, requires awareness. To develop it, we must notice strong intuitive feelings, consciously evaluate them, take action, and track the outcome. This practice strengthens our ability to recognize and trust our inner guidance.
From your experience or perspective, what are some of the common barriers that hold someone back from trusting their intuition?
Culture, training, the zeitgeist of the times, individual personality traits, and “contempt prior to investigation” can erect barriers to trusting intuition. Open-mindedness, willingness and investigation are tools that overcome many of these obstacles; as in many things, personal traits can prove more powerful than restrictions.
What are five methods that someone can use to become more in touch with their intuition?
Improving intuition centers on one key truth: everyone has it, and enhancing it requires greater awareness of living, not just existing.
- Breathe deeply. Proper breathing is foundational to self-improvement and a powerful standalone tool. A simple technique: Find a quiet space, close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold it briefly, then exhale very slowly while repeating Peace… Harmony… Relax… Relax. Visualize tension flowing from your neck and shoulders into your breath and leaving your body as you breathe. Repeat a few times and become aware of the change in your body and mind. Practicing this daily fosters serenity and heightens intuition.
- Practice mindfulness. Live in the present — avoid dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Your mind is the only thing that time travels. Your body is always in the now; train your mind to stay there too. Focus on breathing, bodily sensations, and surroundings without judgment. Observe thoughts without engaging them. Become the observer of everything without any participation. Watch the in-and-out of your breathing; feel the air across your skin, the itch on your back. If your mind becomes too active, look at your feet and bring your thoughts back to be with your body. The earlier horse accident story illustrates the power of mindfulness in overcoming pain and achieving the “impossible.”
- Meditate. Ask yourself: Do I control my mind, or does it control me? Meditation helps quiet mental chatter, making space for intuitive insights. Success lies in the practice itself, not immediate results. Explore techniques like yoga, guided meditation, or walking meditation — many free resources are available online. Experiment to find what works for you.
- Feel, Follow, Find
- Feel: Cultivate mindfulness to recognize intuitive feelings as they arise. Acknowledge and nurture them, expressing gratitude for your growth.
- Follow: Act on strong intuitive urges and learn to identify subtle ones. Expect some false starts but refine your ability to distinguish intuition from personal desires.
- Find: Spend time alone in nature. Focus deeply on details — like a tree’s leaves, bark, and roots — to train yourself to see beyond the surface. Apply this same awareness to people, fostering deeper understanding and appreciation.
5. Develop Discipline & Accountability
- Use your phone: Set six daily alarms for one-minute mindfulness breaks throughout the day. Pause, breathe deeply, and ask for guidance to slow down, treat others well, and recognize intuitive feelings. Small, intentional pauses create lasting change, and this simple, effective practice yields immediate results.
- Journal: Record thoughts and intuitive moments. Be honest, track progress, and accept setbacks as part of the journey. Persistence leads to results.
- Share: Growth is more fulfilling with others. Find a friend or group to join you on this journey — shared experiences amplify success and ease challenges.
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?
I want to share the awareness that every person has an inner spiritual energy that can transform their life. This life-force is personal, not religious and available to anyone no matter their belief, non-belief, or skepticism. I’d like to give everyone the process that guides them to make and sustain this awesome connection.
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!
Dr Joe Dispenza
How can our readers further follow your work online?
On face book: https://www.facebook.com/spiritualengineering/; Website: https://spiritualengineering.us/ ; Amazon http://bit.ly/3EEMFKv
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Keeping In Touch with Your Intuition: Thomas J Strawser On How To Get In Touch with Your Intuition… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.