When Your Gut Knows Before You Do: Self-Trust, Intuition, and Choosing Yourself

Welcome to another episode of Bent Not Broken. Heartbreak and trauma may feel like the end of your story, but here it's the beginning of a bold new chapter. I'm your host, Coach Deborah Griffiths, and this is the space where women rise, rebuild, and rediscover their purpose. Remember this truth. You are bent, not broken. Welcome back to this bent, not broken bonus coaching session. If you just listened to my conversation with Chris Cushing, there's a moment that likely stayed with you. The moment she shared that she cried when she was proposed to. Not tears of joy, but tears of knowing. And I want to pause right there with you. Because so many people don't cry when something bad happens. They cry when their intuition is trying to speak. Let's talk about that gut moment. You know, that quiet voice that says, this doesn't feel right, something is off, or I'm not aligned with this choice. Most of us don't ignore our intuition because we're weak. We ignore it because we're conditioned, conditioned to follow the timeline, conditioned to meet expectations, conditioned to avoid disappointing others, and conditioned to believe that discomfort means failure. And especially for those in structured systems, like the military, corporate environments, or traditional family roles, we're taught to push through, not pause. The pause is the power. One of the biggest lessons from Chris's story is this you are allowed to pause even when everyone else expects a yes. A pause doesn't mean you're backing out. A pause means you're checking in. And here's a coaching question I want you to sit with. If no one else's feelings were involved, what would my body choose? Not your fear, not your guilt, your body. When honesty feels dangerous. Another important layer Chris shared was safety, emotional and physical. If you're someone who is considering leaving a relationship, questioning your identity, or even reclaiming your truth, please hear this clearly. Your safety matters more than your timing. You don't owe anyone immediate clarity. You don't owe anyone your process. You owe yourself care. You are not broken. You are waking up. Many people look back and say, I should have known. I ignored the red flags. Or why didn't I listen to myself? But awareness doesn't arrive all at once. It arrives in layers. And every layer brings you closer to yourself. So if this episode stirred something in you, confusion, grief, relief, recognition, that's not weakness. That's awakening. And before we end, I want to leave you with this one simple practice. Today, take one intentional pause before responding, before agreeing, before explaining. Put your hand on your chest and ask, what's true for me right now? That's where healing begins. That's where alignment begins. And that's how we move from bent to bold. I'll see you in the next episode. Thank you for listening to today's episode of Bent Not Broken. I hope that this episode reminded you that even through life's toughest moments, you are bent, not broken. If this message inspired you, please share, rate, review, and subscribe, as it helps us reach more women who are ready to rise and rebuild. And until next time, keep living bold and walking in your purpose.