Big Girl Panties Diaries - Entry #31: Trust Your Gut (Before She Quits on You\!)

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Jul 6

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I’m finally learning (usually the hard way) that my intuition is rarely wrong — but ignoring her? That’s a classic Big Girl Panties mistake.

You know the feeling. Tight chest. Dropping stomach. A whisper: “Something’s off.” But you drown her out with logic, lists, or bulletproof hope.

Your body doesn’t lie — she stalks the truth.

For me? It’s an eye twitch that won’t quit (yes, that’s real) or that weird can’t-breathe feeling. Shoulders creep up, jaw locks, gut flips.Your body is your early-warning system — like tiger eyes in tall grass. She spots what your excuses hope she’ll miss.

Most times I can read a room in five seconds flat, like I wrote in Entry #19: Why You So Hard to Read? But when I can’t read something in my own body — or a friendship — that’s when the real detective work begins. My gut’s usually filed the report before the facts show up.

When I overrode her roar:

When a someone said, “I’m fine, really,” but my gut felt it — I nodded and pretended to believe. Weeks later? The story trickled out, sideways and messy.
And with someone who always “had my back” — only in words. They’d vanish, gossip, and leave me feeling like the problem. My gut flagged it early — but hope muzzled my instincts.

Then there were wins too — like the time I drifted away from someone who drained me. I didn’t need an exit interview. My gut said, “You’re done here.” Peace restored.

Words don’t mean anything without action.

I’m a words-of-affirmation girl — I’ve clung to every promise, HOPING the words were real. But I’ve learned how hollow words feel when actions don’t match — something I unpacked in Entry #8: Say It, Show It, Mean It. Now? Watch the actions. They never lie.

Gut vs. Anxiety — Know the difference.

Sometimes anxiety is masquerading as intuition. In Entry #26: Your Brain Is Not Google — Just Ask - I mentioned that anxiety is frantic and catastrophic. Intuition is calm, clear, and steady. One protects, the other controls. Learning their voices? That’s real growth.

Tiny test: How I check my gut.

I’ll picture saying “yes,” then notice my body’s response. Chest tightens? Shoulders stay tense? That’s not a maybe — it’s a no. Intuition talks in feelings, not noise.

Leaders trust their gut too.

The best leadership calls I’ve made came straight from that instinct. Data’s helpful — but people are messy. Your gut fills the gaps spreadsheets can’t.

When they ignore theirs.

I’ve watched powerful people override their gut — eyes giving them away. They stay with situations that drain them. I’ve been that friend too. Ignoring your gut has a price — emotionally, mentally, spiritually.

My tiger-tuned gut checklist:

✔ Name the clues. Eye twitch? Shoulders locked? Listen.
✔ Pause the spiral. If you’re building a courtroom case to override your gut… that is your verdict.
✔ Tiny test it. Imagine saying yes — how does your body respond?
✔ Use it at work. Pretty presentation? Great. But your gut is the vibe check.
✔ Ask straight. “Are we good?” Clarity beats mind games.
✔ Know the source. Protecting anxiety with excuses — or trusting real conviction?

Big Girl Panties Mic-Drops:

“Your instincts don’t whisper for fun — they’re survival guides.”
“Life’s too short to gaslight your gut.”
“You can ghost a guy, a plan, or a one-sided friendship — but don’t ghost your gut. She’s the real MVP.”
“If your gut could talk today, what would she tell you — and what if you actually listened?”

Big Girl Panties Rule:

Your gut’s job is to protect you. Your job is to trust her — before she quits on you.

#BigGirlPantiesDiaries #TrustYourGut #Intuition #SelfTrust #Boundaries #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence #ChangeLeadership