You feel it without warning. It is a nudging sensation that prickles in your mind, body and heart. It can take a few minutes to leave you, or it can be much longer. The feeling is called instinct and people have these almost everyday. Research shows the more we pay

attention to these nudges, the stronger they become. Using them in a constructive and positive manner may reduce problems, warn of danger, and even save a life.

I feel them everyday. They are more than my brain simply recalling needed information; they are like little voices or quiet realizations. I will feel them for normal stuff and bigger issues. For example, I recently gathered the items I needed to make my daughter's lunch. As I began spreading peanutbutter on the bread, I felt an instinct to check on my younger daughter. I am thankful I did; for, I found her playing in the living room. What I found her playing with almost made my heart stop. She played with a wand style lighter, used for lighting candles.

The flame had just shot from the lighter when I walked in the room. She might have caused a fire, or burned herself, had I not followed my instinct. This is an example of a bigger issue; safety. Yet, I feel instinct for smaller moments too. These include feeling a need to check the date and time of appointments, not answering the phone because I "just know" I will not want to talk to the caller, and knowing who is at the door without even being in the same room as the door. Oftentimes, I do not need a caller ID unit or a peephole to know who is calling or knocking; I know because of instinct.

What instincts do you get? Do you pay attention to them? Parents have strong instincts, especially when they involve their child or children. Listening to these may be more than just a feeling; they could be messages from angels. Some people believe in angels and others do not. Whether you believe in them or not, you may find yourself reacting to instincts.

For example, people say they feel a prickly sensation run along their neck and they also find themselves focused on a certain thought. Some tense and their eyes dart. They can react in a stressed manner if the instinct does not make sense right away, or if others try to dissaude them from paying attention to it. 

My grandmother followed an instinct when my mother was less than a year old, and if she did not do it, I might not be here today. Here is what I know of the story. My mother fell and bumped her forehead. A small mark appeared and my grandmother took her to the hospital for help. Sometime later, she came back home and felt a "push" to call the doctor who normally treated my mother. The nurse told her to bring her back to the hospital right away, which my grandmother did.

An aggressive infection quickly set in, and the doctor told my grandmother that my mother may have very well died had she waited even a short time more before seeking further help.  An instinct, or angel's warning, saved my mother.  

My example is dramatic, and the reason my mother still has a small scar on the top of her forehead. How do you know when to follow an instinct? Do you question it? When you feel one, ask yourself these questions:

Is it possible that an event could happen the way the instinct leads me to believe?

Is it just nerves or anxiety?

Have I felt it more than once?

Sometimes, a simple phonecall is all it takes to handle an instinct. Othertimes, a change of plans is better. Here are two short, true stories I use in closing. The first involves a cousin who models. On 9/11, she was set to model on the first floor of one of the towers (or a very close building) and she felt an instinct to not follow through with the assignment. We all know about the immense and devastating tragedies which took place that horrific day. Another model took her place, and my cousin was out of the area at the time of the attacks. We never learned what happened to the model who took the assignment.

The second involves a chef and his son. The young boy begged his father not to work that day, on 9/11. His father insisted that he would be back home after work. As much as I know, he never returned home. Somewhere, in a newspaper clipping, I read that the child felt an instinct, a warning of immediate danger that morning. I firmly believe it is worth my time to check out all instincts. They hold power we may not realize.