An Excerpt from Cara Alwill Leyba’s Like She Owns the Place

From the author of Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur comes Cara Alwill Leyba’s latest book Like She Owns the Place: Give Yourself the Gift of Confidence and Ignite Your Inner Magic. After a recent interview with the #GIRLBOSS herself, we got to select a special excerpt to share with our readers. Enjoy the below excerpt and get your copy now!

Trust Your Gut – That Bitch Knows What’s Up

We can’t talk about your inner muse without talking about intuition. Do you know how to instantly become consumed with self-doubt? By asking everyone around you for permission. Have you ever asked someone for their opinion only o still feel unsure, and then ask another person, and another? Soon enough, you’ve polled basically everyone you know, and although you have more “answers” than ever, you’re more confused and unsure of yourself than when you began. Empowered woman don’t poll. Empowered women may request feedback from a small circle of trusted confidants, or they may not request feedback at all. But one thing is certain: They rely heavily on their intuition.

Over the years, I have become intimate with my own intuition. I instinctively know when a business opportunity is not right for me or when I don’t trust someone. I have a sharp sense of when I should move forward with an idea or when I should back away from it. This has taken years of practice: paying attention to that voice in the back of my head, paying attention to my patterns and what works for me, paying attention to how I feel in a certain situation. Sometimes only I can see a vision for myself, and my gut tells me I need to pursue it. If I waited for everyone around me to get on board, there’s a strong chance I could be waiting forever.

In order to get comfortable trusting this superpower we all have access to, start practicing the gut check. Ask yourself, What is my intuition telling me about this situation? First, observe your feelings without judgment. Then try acting on that intuitive sense. If you’re nervous about doing this with major decisions, start small and build up over time as you learn to trust yourself.

The power of intuition has been linked to success and supported by entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, who said, “Intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion. That’s had a big impact on my work.” Oprah always swears by listening to her gut. “Learning to trust your instincts, using your intuitive sense of what’s best for you, is paramount for any lasting success. I’ve trusted the still, small voice of intuition my entire life. And the only time I’ve made mistakes is when I didn’t listen,” she wrote in an article on her website. “When you don’t know what to do, do nothing. Get quiet so you can hear the still, small voice– your inner GPS guiding you to true North.”