A deer in the woods narrows its focus, its ears turning toward the remote sounds of the wilderness. It’s similar to the gut feeling we get—a hunch to strike while the iron is hot. Occasionally moving against our instincts, like a “deer in the headlights,” imagine the deer that runs into traffic at dusk, sideswiping a car or accidentally getting hit. Often, those reactions go against his/her better judgment, as most drivers aren’t out looking for deer to hit.

In my experience, the faster I move, the easier it is to make mistakes. Ignoring my intuition almost always leads to harms way. Yet listening to instinct is one of the most basic aspects of being human—and many of us overlook it, caught in endless loops of “Should I do this or that?” We go round and round, unable to move forward, like standing in the forest dancing around in circles of insanity with two left feet, never going beyond to greener pastures.

There was a time when all we had was instinct; there were no other options. Logic hadn’t fully evolved, and sometimes, even now, people who are very ill or in crisis may find themselves acting purely on impulse, as logic temporarily slips away.

The true message here is this: Use your intuition as your North Star. It rarely leads you astray.

-Keri