Trusting our intuition often saves us from disaster.

Hear the wisdom of Anne Wilson Schaef, a voice of healing and clarity, who spoke these words: “Trusting our intuition often saves us from disaster.” This truth is as old as the first dawn, for before humankind built cities or carved laws, it survived by listening to the quiet voice within. Intuition is the deep river flowing beneath thought, a whisper from the spirit that sees what the eyes cannot and knows what the mind is too slow to grasp. To trust it is to honor the ancient compass of the soul; to ignore it is often to stumble into ruin.

The ancients called this inner voice many names. The Greeks spoke of the daimon, a guiding spirit within each person. The Romans spoke of the genius, the divine spark that whispered guidance. In every age, men and women who listened to their inner voice rose above danger, while those who silenced it often fell. Schaef’s words remind us that this is not superstition, but wisdom tested across time: intuition is not a fantasy, but a form of knowing as vital as logic or experience.

Consider the tale of Abraham Lincoln. On the night he was to give a speech in Springfield, his advisors begged him to soften his stance against slavery. Logic said he should bend, for powerful voices opposed him and the times were perilous. Yet his intuition told him to speak his truth boldly. He followed it, and though it brought enemies, it also drew forth the allies who would carry him to the presidency. By trusting his inner compass, he avoided the greater disaster of compromise with injustice. His life itself became proof that intuition often saves not only a man, but a nation.

In another sense, Schaef’s words speak to the everyday dangers of human life. Many mothers throughout history have spoken of a “feeling” that saved their children—a sudden pull to check the fire, a whisper to turn back on the road, a strange unease that proved true when danger lurked. These are not miracles but the body’s ancient wisdom, the subconscious gathering of signs and signals that the rational mind overlooks. To trust such feelings is to align oneself with life’s deeper awareness, and often it is this that spares us from sorrow.

Yet many dismiss intuition, bowing instead to logic alone. But the mind is a trickster; it may persuade us into harmful paths with clever arguments, while the gut quietly urges us away. Schaef reminds us that wisdom is not only in books, nor only in reasoned plans—it is also in that deep stirring, that inner warning, that mysterious certainty that says: this is right, this is wrong, walk here, not there. To ignore it is to court disaster; to follow it is to walk in harmony with life’s unseen truths.

The lesson, then, is balance. Do not abandon reason, but do not let reason silence intuition. When faced with choices, weigh the evidence, but also listen inward. Ask yourself: What does my inner voice say? Does this path bring calm or unease? Trust the feeling that rises from the deep. Over time, you will see that intuition is not the enemy of reason, but its partner—the ancient guard that often saves us when reason alone cannot.

So, children of tomorrow, remember this teaching: trust your intuition, for it is the guardian at the gates of your soul. When the world is confusing, when logic wavers, when the voices around you clamor with advice, step into silence and listen. If unease stirs, heed it. If peace settles, follow it. For this quiet guide has saved countless lives across the ages, and it will save yours as well. This is the gift Schaef points us toward—the unseen wisdom that prevents disaster and leads us toward the path of life.