Rush hour. Great. The road I had to take home from the airport was crowded during light-traffic hours. At rush hour, it was a six-lane nightmare. Add to that a light drizzle, and the last 45-minute leg of my business trip promised to be the least pleasant of a long journey.

Seeing police cars near the traffic light about 100 yards ahead, I lightly tapped my brake. Though I was only going 30, it wouldn’t hurt to slow down well in advance of whatever commotion awaited. My car started to skid just a fraction and in a surreal instant slipped into the median, bounced once on the grass, and came hurtling up into traffic on the other side of the highway.

As the car spun out of control and I lurched against my seatbelt, all I could see in the rainy dusk were the headlights of oncoming vehicles. But suddenly I heard my own voice speaking clearly and firmly in my head: take your foot off the brake and turn into the spin. I obeyed the order without hesitation, and the car came to a quick stop, sitting sideways across two lanes, facing the median I’d just crossed. I pulled forward into the grass and sat with my head in my hands until a police officer started rapping at my window.

“Did I hit anyone?” “No,” she said. “Don’t ask me how, but you didn’t hit anything.”

I believe I was blessed that day. But I also believe we all have an inner voice that can help guide us during crises and everyday decision-making. It’s called intuition, and the challenge is learning how to access it when we need it. To help you learn to hear what your intuition is saying, try these exercises suggested by Laura Day’s book Practical Intuition:

• Color your world. Grab a scrap of paper. As you read the following scenarios, jot down the first color that comes to mind (you can use the same color for multiple answers):

1. Cuddling a baby.

2. Getting a flat tire.

3. Watching your team lose.

4. Listening to your favorite song.

5. Kissing someone you love.

6. Being slapped in the face.

7. Hearing a compliment about your clothes.

8. Arguing with a loved one.

9. Being insulted by your boss.

10. Eating your favorite dessert.

Notice any patterns in the colors you’ve jotted down? Without realizing it, most people see positive events in certain hues and negative events in other hues. So the next time you’re struggling with a decision, try to notice whether you think of the options in different color palettes. That could give you insight into what you really want to do.

• Consider opposite attraction. Flip over that scrap of paper. Read the following pairs of words and jot down the one that has the most positive connotation for you:

1. morning/evening

2. soft/firm

3. warm/cool

4. up/down

5. shiny/matte

6. spring/fall

7. start/finish

8. slow/fast

9. big/small

10. old/new

As with colors, we each have an intuitive inclination toward different polar extremes. For instance, some of us are naturally attracted to antiques while others prefer modern furniture. Notice the words you use as you describe your alternatives. Do you describe one option using terms that have more positive meaning for you? Perhaps your intuition is trying to nudge you in that direction.