In my last blog “New Thoughts on Self-Promotion” I used a metaphor of the great heron, who waits patiently for its meal to swim by. The stately white bird stands seemingly immobile at low tide, then at just the right moment snatches up breakfast. Have you wondered how it knows exactly when and where to strike?

As a bird living in the wild, the heron naturally is keenly aware. It uses its body to guide its actions, not necessarily its brain. I believe the heron uses all of its senses — sight, sound, smell, touch, taste as well as instinct. Many humans have lost their internal navigation system.

Like a baby, the heron uses its senses to explore, discover and master the world around it. Sadly it is our sensory perceptions that are systematically trained out of us by family, schooling and society, as we mature.

To reclaim this power for yourself, take a moment, right now to sharpen your senses. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, then:

1. Be fully aware of how your body feels, notice the temperature of the air on your skin.

2. If the air had a taste, what would it taste like?

3. Feel your breathing, is it shallow or deep? No judgement, just observation. Is your heart fluttering or calm?

4. What do you hear? Can you stretch your hearing to receive the farthest most sound?

5. Smell the odors around you, an animal’s sense of smell can save its life.

6. What do you feel like doing at this very minute? Will you give yourself permission to do it?

7. Over the next week, invite yourself to simply observe a situation in your life, with all your senses. Then let your observations help you intrinsically know when to act (or not). Let your body, not your mind, direct you.

Creativity and wellness message for today: Learn how to be body smart, reconnect with your senses. Then just like the heron, trust your instincts.