Be Open For Surprises

by Cathy

It happened one day as I walked around a small downtown area. I was taking pictures of historic buildings when my instincts told me to “check out the alley.” My brain said, “Don’t go down there! You’ll waste your time!”  I’ve learned over the years to trust my instincts, so down the alley I went. Now before you panic, I have common sense and I carefully checked out the surroundings. I would never enter an alley that looked dangerous or creepy. I'm talking about a wide, clean alley in the daytime. Anyway, down the alley I went waiting for the “AHA, this-is-the-reason-I-came-down-here moment.” The alley ran between brick buildings. On each side were narrow steps leading to back doors. One door stood out from all the rest. It was painted a beautiful blue and right beside it was a large matching metal flower. What a surprise! Someone thought to brighten the back door for those walking by or possibly for the deliver guys. I know it brightened my day and still makes me smile just thinking about it.

There was a bit of graffiti painted on the wall near the metal flower. I’m definitely not in favor of graffiti, but whoever took the time to paint the door and add the flower also wanted to sent a message to those passing through.

My instincts took me around the side of another old building. This building had been converted into apartments. A very creative soul used vintage garden tools to create  a work of art on one wall. Not only had they decorated the wall, but they added a table, chairs, and pots of flowers creating a small patio area. That gut feeling was right again, a surprise was waiting around the corner!

I’ve seems that when I follow my instincts, magical moments find me. I’ve learned to trust that feeling that pulls me one way or the other. My instinct has failed a few times, but most of the time it’s “spot on.” One old building I walked beside was boarded up and no long in use. Across the alley was a flower shop who took advantage of the large window ledges to promote her business. I'm sure she has the prettiest ally in town!

In a recent interview with Huffington Post, Sophy Burnham bestselling author of The Art Of Intuition, said, “I define intuition as the subtle knowing without ever having any idea why you know it . . . It’s different from thinking, it’s different from logic or analysis . . . It’s a knowing without knowing.”

Whether you call it instinct, sixth sense, intuition, gut feeling, or inner voice . . . listen to it.  Step away from your plans and what your mind demands and go exploring. Just be sure to be safe and be open for surprises!