“How do I know it’s really my intuition talking? How do I know I’m not just making things up?” This is one of the biggest concerns many of you seem to have when it comes to accessing your own intuition. The fact is that our intuition is always “on.” It is constantly giving us information, every day of our lives. Imagine a radio music station, running quietly in the background, wherever you are, whatever you may be doing. The music is so omnipresent that you don’t even really hear it anymore. Every once in a while you may catch an auditory glimpse of it, a sweet chord that all too soon gets lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But because it is always with you, it colors your life through your emotions and moods. Subconsciously, you are absorbing information from it all day long. This is how we get “gut feelings.” Our subconscious sends us intuitive information, and suddenly something hits us as being “off.” Or we feel incredibly drawn to people or situations. Most of the time, this is how our intuition communicates with us.

Now, however, we wish to access our intuition at the conscious level. We want answers to specific questions. We want information around the issues we are working on right now. And so we sit down and meditate. We dowse. We use tarot cards, runes, angel cards, or whatever other medium we may be drawn to. We turn up the volume on that radio. And invariably, we’re a little disappointed. “This can’t be my intuition,” we think. “I already knew all that.” The little voice inside of us is just like our own. It’s nothing earth-shattering at all.

The music of our intuition has been running quietly in the background all our lives. Is it any surprise that, when we turn up the volume, every song seems awfully familiar? There are no lightning bolts, no striking visions that remove us completely from reality. No booming voice resounds in our head, gifting us with startling revelations that change our lives. That’s the Hollywood version, but that’s not how it happens.

The voice of your intuition is a quiet, familiar voice. It’s your own! Your intuition is a part of you, and always has been. You’ve been hearing it every day of your life. The difference is that now you’ve started listening. When you consciously tune into that little voice, trust it. Believe in your own inner wisdom. Act on what that small, familiar voice says. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Start with a leap of faith, and see how your life unfolds.

About the Author

Andrea Hess is an intuitive consultant working with spiritual seekers who want practical, accurate information about their life path and purpose. You may visit her site at www.andreahess.com for more information, and a free Sample Session.

The price of a college education has risen dramatically in the last ten years. Prices of tuition, room and board and books have increased much faster than the rate of inflation, and students and their parents have struggled to find ways to pay for these increases.

A recent study by the Smith College Women and Financial Independence Program found that nearly one quarter of college students are using their credit cards to pay for some of their college expenses. This is a poor choice, as we shall soon see.

Unlike a generation ago, most students today have at least one major credit card. The lending industry has aggressively targeted college students and made it very easy for them to obtain cards. The problem is that most people of college age have relatively little money management experience and tend to use the cards rather foolishly.

About ten percent of college students have balances on their credit cards of at least $5000, and much of this debt is attributable to using the cards for college expenses.

The main problem is the interest rate on credit cards, which tends to be much higher than other borrowing choices for tuition. The Federal Stafford student loan program offers rates for tuition in the neighborhood of 5%, and that?s after an increase that recently went into effect. Five percent is a dramatic improvement over the 20% or so that one might pay using a credit card.

Other options are available. Some universities will allow payments; students should inquire to see if they can simply pay on installments. Even if interest is added, it undoubtedly will be a less expensive option than paying by credit card. There are student loan programs available for the parents of students at favorable rates that are only slightly higher than those for Federal student loans.

Students need to understand how to use credit cards responsibly. The best use for credit cards is for a purchase that can be afforded immediately, not a long term purchase. Buying textbooks with a credit card is OK as long as you can pay the bill when it comes at the end of the month. Putting a semester?s tuition on the card, with no idea as to how or when it might be repaid, is a poor choice.

Students who develop bad spending habits early are more likely to have problem debt down the road, and may be headed towards early bankruptcy as their spending hurts their credit report.

Anyone who has questions about how to effectively pay for education expenses should contact his or her school?s administration. They can point out which department or departments may be able to help assist with expenses in a way that won?t drive students straight into a life of problem debt.

About the Author: Talbert Williams offers debt consolidation, debt reduction, credit card debt referrals and advice. For more information, articles, news, tools and valuable resources on debt solutions, visit this site: http://www.1debtfreedom.com