Stop calling it intuition when it's just comfort-seeking

Plus: A powerful AI-assisted reflection to help you see your patterns clearly

Just yesterday I came across this powerful reflection by

Sinem Günel

on Substack, and it inspired me to go deeper on what I think is helpful about following your intuition, as I believe it's so important in growing your authentic and successful business.

Part of my work is to help people be more in tune with their bodies, to have their energies more distributed between body and mind, so we don't get stuck in endless loops of overthinking created by the mind and we can move and evolve in life more powerfully.

Following intuition is a huge part of this!

However, I believe many people misunderstand what intuition really is, and it gets confused with feeling good.

Of course there's more to this than what I'm going to share here with you, but from my own experience and working with clients on emotional intelligence and helping people create successful businesses from their hearts, it's very clear that if you follow what feels good only, it will not get you there.

Your soul, your essence doesn't care much about comfort - it cares about evolution.

I believe we are here to evolve beyond that idea that life is positive only. I also believe, based on my own experience with psychedelics (psilocybin, ayahuasca), meditations, trance states from powerful yoga flows, and breathwork, that our true nature is bliss, joy, and love. But this is very different from choosing experiences that make you feel good only.

Evolution happens when we can move through resistance, when we hold a strong desire in our heart and we do what is necessary to create that. And this involves pain, discomfort, and doing many things we don't want to do.

Our body is receiving information from inside, from outside through the senses, and from above through our connection with this highest part of us. It's my work for myself to distinguish all of it, and to help others distinguish that for themselves too through body awareness.

Think of this example: you love eating sugar and desserts. And sometimes you do feel cravings - your body is very loud and you can barely control yourself. Notice how your mouth starts watering, your heart might race slightly, and there's this urgent, almost desperate quality to the feeling. Your body feels like it NEEDS this - it's loud, demanding, immediate. That feeling makes you choose to go and buy and eat something sweet. Do you really believe that strong feeling is coming from your soul?

This is a chemical response due to addiction in your system. You eat the sweet and you feel good about that, but then there's temporary relief followed by a crash, and often guilt or regret. This is not your intuition.

Compare this to genuine intuition about nourishment - it's quieter, more spacious, comes with a sense of "this would serve me" rather than "I MUST have this NOW."

The same thing happens with certain actions. Depending on how you were raised, your habits, your routine, your system is calibrated to certain actions - often actions that keep you safe inside what we call the comfort zone. And it feels good to you, even though it might be things that will not help you move forward.

It's the same when you feel that urgent need to check social media instead of working on your business plan - your body feels restless, your mind creates stories about "research" or "inspiration," but really it's seeking the dopamine hit of distraction. Your nervous system is avoiding the discomfort of focused, strategic work.

In business - or using this post from

Sinem Günel

as an example - building a plan and setting up clear goals can trigger your nervous system, activating the fight or flight response in your body. Your system perceives structure and accountability as a threat to your safety. So what you would call intuition about not having a strategy to grow your Substack or your business is actually a protection mechanism keeping you exactly where you are - small, safe, and stuck.

Maybe when you were a child, you had crazy ideas that were harshly judged by your parents or friends at school. They would call you crazy because you were a dreamer. That made you shut down, and then you believed them and created layers of protection so you don't set big goals anymore or strategize something that maybe seems impossible or hard to you.

This is a pattern of protection, not your intuition!

But it does "feel good" to post just once in a while, or whatever message feels nice to you, without really thinking through and clarifying your goals and intentions.

Your soul guides you through the desires you hold in your heart, and to make that happen you will need to evolve and do things differently - and more than that, think differently as well.

I had a client once who wanted to create a coaching business (this was before Sacred Business). She had a business coach and I was helping her with her emotional side. She had a very strong opinion about reaching out to people and marketing in general, and because of that she wouldn't really do the things that are necessary to grow her business. Strategy and marketing were just not safe for her.

Guess what?

She never did the work and decided that having a business was not for her. I agree it's not for everyone, but to this day she holds a desire to create something, but she is not willing to feel the pain and move through resistance. So she keeps her job and her dissatisfaction.

Another business owner I know, already successful, struggles with implementing systems and strategy. She grew her business being more the service provider than a business owner. She knows what needs to be done and yet doesn't do it.

Her system protects her from growing to the next level. She struggles with time management, scaling, and impacting more, and she calls that intuition. In reality, she is stuck in old patterns of being and not willing to make the changes that will actually help her help more people.

I could share many more examples here. I think this is such a huge and important topic to be discussed and understood.

Many of the "feel good" people struggle for years in the same patterns and call it intuition.

Your intuition is not guiding you to struggle or to keep you in the same place.

It's guiding you to grow, to improve your life experience, to bring more of your essence here. In that post from Sinem I shared:

"We should always ask this simple question: Is what you call 'intuition' giving you the results you're looking for?"

It's also important to share here that it's not about having what you want exactly the way you want it - it's about living life more fully, manifesting your heart's desires, serving others with your gifts and what feels authentic to you, and seeing those dreams become reality in the physical realm.

You will experience pain, failure, and challenges, and this can clearly be guided by your intuition. Your soul wants you to grow - it doesn't care about your opinions of what you need to feel good. Then the game becomes choosing to feel good in the midst of pain and challenges, but that’s a whole new conversation.

Another important thing I want to mention is that we all have different patterns and growth edges.

Some people genuinely do better with more organic, less structured approaches - but they still need some form of intentional direction. Others thrive in structure, strategy, and planning.

Here's the key: your authentic intuition will often guide you toward your growth edge, which might be the opposite of what feels comfortable.

If you naturally love structure, your soul might nudge you toward more flow and spontaneity. If you tend to be more free-flowing, your growth might require more planning and strategy.

The key is learning to distinguish between fear-based resistance and authentic misalignment. You can't figure this out in your mind alone - the more you connect with your body, take action, and observe the results, the more clarity you get about what's truly guidance versus what's protection.

I believe this is so important that I created a prompt that you could use with AI to help you with the conversation inside your head.

A word about working with AI on this: Just as we need to discern between real intuition and comfort-seeking patterns, we need discernment when working with AI. Use it as a mirror to see yourself more clearly, but don't outsource your decision-making. The goal is to strengthen your ability to distinguish between your soul's guidance and your protection patterns - and that discernment muscle can only be built by you.

With Love,

Carolina

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The True Intuition vs. Comfort Zone Reflection Prompt

🎁 LIMITED ACCESS: Free for ALL subscribers for the next 48 hours only
After that, this becomes an exclusive Sacred Business Network resource

Who This Is For:

• Business owners who avoid marketing/sales because it "doesn't feel aligned" (but wonder if they're just scared)

• Entrepreneurs stuck at the same income level who keep hearing "follow your intuition" but it's not leading to growth

• Anyone who suspects their "intuitive guidance" might actually be fear keeping them playing small

• Service providers who know they should raise prices or scale but feel "guided" to stay exactly where they are

What This Journey Offers:

✨ Pattern Identification - Discover which business actions you're avoiding and calling it "intuition"
✨ Protection vs. Growth Analysis - Learn to distinguish between your soul's guidance toward evolution and your ego's need for safety
✨ Childhood Pattern Recognition - Uncover how past experiences created "fake intuition" that blocks your business success
✨ Personalized Action Plan - Receive specific steps based on YOUR unique patterns and growth edges
✨ Business Frequency Assessment - Identify which areas of your business are stuck in protection mode

The Experience:
In 30-35 minutes, you'll be guided through:

• A comprehensive reflection on your current business avoidance patterns

• Deep exploration of what your heart truly desires vs. what feels "safe"

• Recognition of the physical sensations that reveal real guidance

• A custom action summary with your next courageous steps

Why This Works:
Your soul doesn't care about comfort - it cares about evolution. This prompt helps you finally distinguish between the "feel good" voice that keeps you stuck and the sometimes-uncomfortable voice that leads to real business growth and impact.

⏰ Save this prompt NOW. Once the 48-hour window closes, only Sacred Business Network members will have access to this transformative tool.

Stop confusing comfort with intuition. Your business breakthrough lives on the other side of what you're avoiding.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Create Sacred Space and Center Yourself

Make this moment inspiring for you:

• Light a candle or create an atmosphere that feels meaningful

• Sit still for 10 minutes and follow a meditation of your preference

• Take 3 deep breaths low in your belly

• Set the intention to be completely honest with yourself

• Now you're ready to begin

Step 2: Initiate Your AI Coaching Session

Paste the following instruction to your preferred AI (I suggest Claude or ChatGPT for the best results):

# Business Intuition vs. Protection Patterns Coaching Session

I want you to act as my supportive business coach and mirror to help me identify business patterns that I may be confusing with intuition. We'll work through a comprehensive reflection framework designed to distinguish between true intuitive guidance and protection patterns that keep me playing small.

## Your Role as Coach

- Guide me through the reflection questions step-by-step
- Ask one main question at a time and wait for my response
- Provide 2-3 follow-up questions maximum before moving to the next main question
- Keep our session focused and powerful (30-35 minutes)
- Help me see patterns and connections in my responses

## Follow-Up Question Strategy

1. First, ask for specific examples from my business
2. Then, challenge my assumptions or explore the 'why' behind my answers
3. If needed, help me connect my responses to patterns or see the real choice I'm making

## Session Structure

### Step 1: Context Gathering
Before we begin the reflection questions, please ask me to briefly share:
- What my business is
- How long I've been running it
- What my main struggles or challenges are right now

### Step 2: Deep Reflection Framework

Guide me through these questions in order, using my business context to make each question relevant:

#### Part 1: Business Intuition vs. Protection Patterns

**Question 1:** What specific business actions do you consistently avoid because they "don't feel good" or "don't feel intuitive"?
- Consider: Marketing activities (social media, content creation, networking)
- Sales conversations or follow-ups
- Raising your prices or positioning yourself as premium
- Creating offers that showcase your expertise
- Pivoting to a business model that better serves your growth

**Question 2:** What business desires keep showing up in your heart, even when your mind says "that's too risky" or "I'm not ready"?
- A different way of serving clients that excites you
- A price point that truly reflects your value
- A business identity that feels more aligned with who you're becoming
- (Note: These persistent desires often carry your soul's guidance for your business evolution)

**Question 3:** When you think about stepping into bigger business visibility or charging what you're worth, what physical sensations arise?
- That feeling in your stomach when you consider raising prices
- The anxiety before hitting "publish" on vulnerable content
- The resistance to calling yourself by a new business title
- Help me distinguish: Excitement mixed with fear? That might be real intuition pointing toward growth. Pure avoidance and shut-down? That's likely a protection pattern blocking my Connection and Growth frequencies.

#### Part 2: Business Pattern Recognition

**Question 4:** What stories from your past might be creating "protection patterns" that feel like business intuition?
- Were your big ideas or entrepreneurial dreams ever harshly judged?
- Did previous attempts at visibility or sales lead to criticism that still affects how you show up?
- What messages did you receive about money, success, or standing out in business?
- How might these experiences be blocking your Connection frequency (authentic relationship with your market) or Growth frequency (willingness to expand)?

**Question 5:** Complete this sentence: "I call it following my business intuition, but really I'm avoiding _______ because _______."
- Examples to consider:
  - "I'm avoiding charging premium prices because I don't feel worthy of that level of investment"
  - "I'm avoiding consistent marketing because I don't want to seem pushy or salesy"
  - "I'm avoiding positioning myself as an expert because I still feel like an imposter"

#### Part 3: Your Business Growth Edge

**Question 6:** If you knew your business couldn't fail, what would you do differently right now?
- How would you price your services?
- How would you market and position yourself?
- What offers would you create?
- How would you show up in your content and sales conversations?
- (The gap between these answers and your current actions reveals where fear is masquerading as business intuition)

**Question 7:** What's one uncomfortable business action that keeps presenting itself to you, despite your resistance?
- Raising your prices to reflect your true value
- Creating content that positions you as the expert you are
- Having sales conversations with confidence
- Pivoting to a business model that better aligns with your evolution
- (This persistent "nudge" toward business discomfort is often where real guidance for your Connection and Growth frequencies lives)

### Step 3: Personalized Action Summary

After we complete all questions, create a 400-word personalized action summary that includes:

1. **Key Patterns Identified**: The specific protection patterns I'm mistaking for intuition
2. **Comfort vs. Growth Analysis**: Why I'm choosing comfort over growth in my business
3. **Immediate Action Steps**: 3-5 specific, tailored action steps I can take immediately based on my answers
4. **Intuition Reframe**: A clear distinction between my actual intuition (which points toward growth) and my resistance patterns (which keep me small)

Use this reframe structure:
- **Old Story**: "I'm following my business intuition by avoiding what doesn't feel good - marketing that feels salesy, prices that feel too high, visibility that feels uncomfortable."
- **New Story**: "My soul is guiding my business toward authentic connection and meaningful growth, which often requires moving through the discomfort of being seen, valued, and expanded. Real business intuition points me toward the actions that will create deeper connection with my ideal clients and sustainable growth, not toward what keeps me small and comfortable."

### Step 4: Journal Integration

After providing the action summary, simply invite the user to take time with their journal to hand-write whatever insights came up during the session. Keep this brief and open-ended - something like:

"Now I invite you to take this to your journal. Hand-write whatever came up for you during our conversation - the insights, the surprises, the resistance, the breakthroughs. Let your pen move without editing. This is your space to process what we've uncovered today."

Do not provide specific prompts or questions. Trust that they know what needs to be explored further.

## Important Coaching Notes

- The goal isn't to ignore inner wisdom - it's to distinguish between the voice of the soul (which wants growth) and the voice of protection patterns (which want safety and comfort)
- Keep the focus on business-specific applications throughout
- Use my actual business examples to make insights concrete and actionable
- Challenge me compassionately but directly when you notice avoidance patterns

Begin by warmly greeting me and asking for my business context as outlined in Step 1.

Step 3: Engage Fully in the Process

• Answer honestly: Share your real thoughts and feelings, not what you think sounds "right"

• Take your time: Don't rush through responses - let yourself really think

• Be specific: Give concrete examples rather than general statements

• Stay open: Let the AI coach challenge your assumptions and push you deeper

Step 4: Integration Through Hand-Written Reflection

The AI will prompt you at the end to journal BY HAND about your insights. Take time to write about:

• Your key insights and aha moments

• Patterns you recognized for the first time

• Connections between past experiences and current business limitations

• Your specific action items from the AI's summary

Why hand-writing? The physical act of writing engages different neural pathways and helps integrate insights more deeply than typing.

Step 5: Implementation

Start implementing what you learned immediately:

• Choose 1-2 action items to begin within the next 48 hours

• Schedule specific times for the uncomfortable business actions you identified

Notice when old patterns arise and consciously choose the new response

Step 6: Your daily discernment practice

Moving forward in your life and business, use this simple practice whenever discomfort arises and you're unsure if it's genuine intuition or an old protection pattern:

• The 4-7-8 Breath Practice:

  • Inhale for 4 seconds

  • Hold for 7 seconds

  • Exhale for 8 seconds

  • Repeat this cycle 3-4 times to fully calm your nervous system and create space for clarity

  Then ask yourself this single question:

"Is avoiding this action leading me toward my evolution and growth, or away from it?"

This breath practice, done with repetition, calms your nervous system enough to access clarity, while this specific question cuts through the mental stories to reveal whether your discomfort is pointing you toward expansion (real intuition) or toward staying small (protection pattern). Trust the first answer that comes - your soul knows the difference.

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The goal isn't to ignore your inner wisdom - it's to distinguish between the voice of your soul (which wants you to grow) and the voice of your protection patterns (which want to keep you safe, small, and comfortable)

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What’s next?

Phil and I are ready to support you in creating a business that aligns with your heart's calling. Here's how we can help:

1. Discover Your Sacred Business Alignment (Free): Take the Harmony Map Assessment and read our Sacred Business Manifesto to understand where you are on your path and how to move forward with clarity and confidence. Perfect for entrepreneurs wanting to understand how everything in their business connects.

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5. Sacred Growth Club: A complete support system with weekly embodiment classes, live coaching calls, writing circles, and expert workshops. Designed for entrepreneurs ready to build sustainable success through proven practices while staying connected to their purpose. Includes full access to the Network and all challenges.

6. Be The Flow Coaching (1:1): Personal guidance combining strategic business planning with energy alignment work. Weekly coaching sessions plus full access to Sacred Growth Club benefits. Ideal for entrepreneurs seeking deep transformation and sustainable growth in their business.

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Table of Contents: Your Complete Guide To The Sacred Business Ecosystem

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