A Conversation with Rudi Riekstins on Priming, Intuition, and the Power of Community

There are conversations that inform you, and then there are conversations that change you.

This episode of Unshakeable Belief was the second kind.

I sat down with Rudi Riekstins, a speaker, mentor, and guide whose work centers on helping people reconnect with their intuition, regulate their nervous system, and lead from a grounded, embodied place rather than from pressure or performance. Rudi is someone I deeply respect, not only for the work he does, but for the way he holds space for people to remember who they are beneath survival mode.

The first time I heard Rudi speak 2 years ago, he guided the room through a priming experience that took us into our past and then forward into our future. It was the first time in a long time that I allowed myself to imagine what was possible again. That moment became a turning point for me, and it shaped much of the work I do today.

In this conversation, Rudi and I explored why so many capable people stop dreaming, how stress shuts down creativity and intuition, and why small, daily shifts can completely change the trajectory of your life.

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What Is Priming and Why Does It Matter?

Priming is a daily practice that prepares your mind and body for who you want to be, rather than allowing your past to dictate your present.

As Rudi explained, most people wake up and immediately enter reaction mode. The brain repeats yesterday’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors automatically. In fact, up to 95 percent of our daily actions are pre-programmed responses. That means without intention, we are living from memory, not possibility.

Priming interrupts that cycle.

By intentionally creating a calm, safe internal state and connecting emotionally to a future version of yourself, your body begins to experience that future as real. When emotion is present, the nervous system shifts. And when the nervous system shifts, decision making changes.

You stop reacting.
You start responding.
You begin acting from inspiration instead of fear.

Rudi teaches priming as a foundational tool because it does not require force, hustle, or perfection. It requires presence.

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Why So Many People Stop Dreaming

One of the most powerful truths Rudi shared is this:

You cannot dream while your nervous system is in survival mode.

When stress is high, logic, creativity, intuition, and imagination all go offline. The brain’s only job becomes putting out fires. That is why so many people feel stuck, uninspired, or disconnected from their dreams. They are not broken. They are dysregulated.

Chronic stress conditions us to react instead of choose. Over time, imagination feels unsafe because dreaming requires openness. And survival mode is designed to protect, not expand.

Learning to calm the body is not a luxury. It is a prerequisite for change.

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Intuition vs Fear

We also talked about one of the most common questions people ask:
How do I know the difference between intuition and fear?

Fear is future-focused and catastrophic. It asks, What if this goes wrong?
Intuition is calm, grounded, and persistent. It nudges without panic.

Rudi shared that intuition becomes accessible when we connect to our centered self. Not the emotional, reactive version of us, but the regulated, grounded version. That is where clarity lives.

Many of us already act on intuition without realizing it. A sudden thought to call someone. A nudge to take a different route home. A quiet sense that something is off or something is right. The issue is not that intuition is absent. It is that fear is louder when we are stressed.

Priming quiets the noise so intuition can be heard again.

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The Role of Community in Transformation

Another theme that stood out in this conversation was the power of community.

So many people believe they should be able to figure everything out on their own. When they struggle, they assume something is wrong with them. But transformation does not happen in isolation.

In healthy communities, vulnerability becomes permission. When someone shares honestly, it creates space for others to do the same. Growth accelerates when people are seen, supported, and reminded they are not alone.

As Rudi shared, the right community does not put one person on a pedestal. It reflects back what is possible for everyone in the room.

The question is not whether you are influenced by your environment.
The question is whether your environment is supporting who you are becoming.

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A Simple Place to Start

If this conversation stirred something in you, here is a gentle place to begin.

Tomorrow morning, before you reach for your phone or step into your day, take one minute. Breathe in slowly. Breathe out longer than you breathed in. Ask yourself one simple question:

Who do I choose to be today?

That pause alone can begin to shift everything.

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This conversation with Rudi was a reminder that we do not have to force our way forward. We can slow down, listen, regulate our bodies, and trust ourselves again. Healing and growth do not come from doing more. They come from remembering who we are.

You can listen to the full episode of Unshakeable Belief wherever you get your podcasts.

And if this message resonated, trust that it found you for a reason.
You are not behind.
You are not broken.
You are becoming.