Wouldn’t it be great if we got phone calls from Spirit or text messages from angels with detailed instructions on how to live in alignment with our Highest Good?

Back in 2013, I would’ve loved an email from God saying:

“Dear Dominique: It’s in your highest interest to study visionary art in Vienna for six months, and here’s exactly how we’ll make that happen. … And don’t worry about the EU visa issues that come up because you’re meant to go study in Bali for a month before returning to Europe to continue in Vienna, but also in Italy where you’ll be artist-in-residence for a couple of weeks. We’re taking care of everything, so just keep listening for further instructions and have fun. It’ll all happen with ease & grace.”

Although our souls don’t come with explicit directions, Guidance is always available through signs, and “reading” them is a skill that improves with practice.

Intuition is something that’s often driven out of us at a young age.  As I explained in an earlier post, I kept my Connection alive and so my intuitive antenna stayed up.

I’ve experienced many kinds of intuition, or what some call psychic abilities.

• clear seeing: visions, dreams, premonitions
• clear feeling: empathy
• clear knowing: thought download
• clear hearing: hearing guidance with the inner ears

But I still got a lot from reading and listening to teachers like Laura Day and Sonia Choquette.

The exercises in their courses or books helped me to better understand and use my innate skills. I remember stunning my skeptical brother in the late 90s when he asked me: “So what did I get you for Christmas?”

The beauty is that intuition is  innate to all of us. Anyone who’s successful in life is using it. They just might not call it that.

I’ve been revisiting stories of my past for a business course I’m taking.  And so I’ve decided to share my Bali story again to help you recognize the various ways intuition speaks to you.

My decision to study in Bali for the month of April 2014 serves as a good example of following the path of intuition.

My original plan was to study 3 months in Vienna. But when my fundraising exceeded my original goal , I assumed I was meant to stay for nine.

But delays in the school’s certification affected my legal ability to stay in Austria that long. I was stressed. My reservation for a housing extension required a financial commitment.

Desperation, it turns out, is like static on the line. It was only when I prayed and surrendered that I started recognizing the signs.

Imagine saying “yes” or “no” to a decision and tune in to how each feels in your body / mind / spirit.

The answer that leaves you feeling higher on the Emotional Scale is right for you.

This is why I cancelled my housing-extension reservation in Vienna, but still extended my travel health insurance until June.

It made no sense, but it felt good!

Also, pay attention to occurrences that bring you joy.

Here’s what I mean.  One day in class, I immediately felt uplifted when I heard a song that had been the soundtrack from a painting e-course I took with Flora Bowley eight months before. This association led to my exploring Flora’s website for live workshops. But nothing fit into my spring timeframe. Not yet anyway… 

Have you ever needed or gotten a haircut only to start paying attention to everyone’s hairstyles?

The same is true with intuition – if you ask for guidance on something, you’ll start noticing the signs.

That’s what happened when I looked at my inbox a couple of weeks later and Flora Bowley’s Bali workshop announcement grabbed my attention.

I knew not to skim over it.

The email got me so excited.  But making a hurried decision about Bali overwhelmed me.

I had nothing to lose by applying.  Participants would be handpicked based on their application answers, and full refunds were possible.

So I decided that if I were accepted, that would be a sign to keep exploring this option. If not, that would be an even clearer sign.

Whatever happened would be meant to be: non-attachment.  I gave the Universe another way of speaking to me.

Three weeks later, I woke up thinking about Bali: “If I am accepted today, I’ll commit.”

Ten minutes later, I heard the familiar ding of incoming mail. It was from Flora! Yay! I was one of 14 chosen out of 80!

But wait… it was for the “wrong” workshop – the one in April, not the March one I’d asked for as my primary choice – the one that between trimesters at the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art.

I quickly emailed back, but two days later, received an automated bounce-back – for some “odd reason”, my request to change workshops had never reached its destination. Coincidence? I think not.

During those two days, I came to the conclusion that the April workshop (which included a possibility for extension and was close to a very affordable yoga ashram) actually felt much better than rushing in and out of Bali for a week before doing a third trimester in Vienna.

So what first appeared as a “mistake” turned out to be a “happy accident.

The whole time I was trying to make a decision about going to Bali, I wondered “If I could get an Austrian visa, would I change my plans?”

One of my teachers served as a “messenger” when she asked me why I was bothering to learn oil-painting techniques if I had no intention to continue after the program.

This pointed question reminded me of my original goal: learning to draw, so I could integrate that into my more intuitive abstract style of acrylic painting.

My messenger helped me refocus on my goals to make the right choice for me. I’d done 6-months of drawing as part of the curriculum and I could keep doing that as well as intuitive painting in a new exotic setting.

Also, one of my classmates told me about another visionary artist teaching a workshop in Bali the month I’d be there.

Perfect. I ended up spending my first week at the ashram, week 2-3 in my intuitive painting workshop & cultural tourism extension, and the last week in a visionary art workshop – all in the same town.

Collecting signs from our environment is fun, but it means staying in a hyper-aware state for indefinite periods of time.

Tools can act as instant hearing-aids. They help you hear your inner guidance and messages from your team of Divine Helpers (whatever you call them).

When used properly, pendulums will give a trusted “yes”, “no”, or “maybe” – very helpful.

I’ve also long used divination cards as a communication tool. My sold out Spirit Calling Cards (a crowdfunder for my studies in Vienna) are my current favourites. You can work with them every morning on my Facebook Page until June 7th.

And although I’ve long used creative visualization meditations as a way to tap into guidance, I’ve only recently started using my visionary gifts to lead others in ways to empower their own intuition. I co-create these with your Divine Helpers and the recording becomes a tool you can use for years with ever changing experiences and guidance. Click here to learn more about my Custom Guided Meditations or try a free one here.

Then there’s my Divine Storytelling Time sessions (intuitive readings).  These are like a treasure map to your soul. Unlike many psychics, I don’t tell you your future. I believe we’re the best ones to translate our own intuitive clues to make important decisions. I present you with a story that comes to me through your Guides as a “mini-movie download”.  They’re meant to empower you in your own intuitive development as you play detective and decipher the symbolism in your recording. These come with two visual gifts and worksheets that support your interpretation.

Believe it or not, I’m not a natural risk-taker. I resist change.

I’ve learned, however, to follow my heart and trust my intuition – it’s stronger than fear.

As the Five Man Electrical Band sings, there’s a “Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign” and the more I pay attention, the clearer they get.

May you also find clarity in your life.

What decision do you need help with? Try asking your Source of Guidance and keep your antenna up. It’s a great way to live!

And if you want, I can help you gather these signs . It would be my honour to serve you through a custom-guided meditation, intuitive reading, or Co-Creative Soul Energy Painting.

Either way, know that you can access the intuitive keys to live a happy, successful, life – whatever that means to YOU!