Since I derive most of my life lessons from reading murder mysteries, I am reminded of a mystery by Marcia Muller, Listen to the silence. The heroine, Sharon McCone, turns her prodigious investigative talent to researching her own background. As she interviews family members, her significant other, also a heavy-duty detective, says, "Listen to the silence."

He meant, "When someone answers a question, don't just listen to what's said. Listen for the pauses, the silences in what they say."

As I listen to clients, I've decided that we need to listen to the messages sent by our bodies, our friends and family, and what some would call "the universe" -- our environment. As business people, we need to listen to our customers.

Considering a move to a new location and find yourself feeling like, "I don't belong here?" Going to a big job interview and feeling that everything you say is coming out all wrong? Well, pay attention!

In Finding Your Own North Star, Martha Beck claims the one quality shared by all successful people is a willingness to listen to their intuition.

In The Gift of Fear, Gavin de Becker tells us our intuition can keep us from becoming crime victims.

Intuition is not woo-woo. It's not about crystal balls -- it's about claiming your power. Some researchers believe that intuition originates in specific portions of the human brain.

Intuition doesn't come out of nowhere. The more information you have about a situation, the more helpful your intuition will be.

There are only a few times to heed well-meaning unsolicited advice. When Tony Soprano says, "This game isn't for you," pay attention. When the police officer says, "Slow it down," that's a good idea too. But most of the time, listen for subtle messages from whatever crosses your path.

That's your own intuitive code. And don't let any words get in the way of the real message.

I offer one-to-one consultations on career strategy.