what's in a sign?

I’ve always thought Sleepless in Seattle was a cute movie. Maybe I knew I was meant to live here, maybe it’s the clever one-liners sprinkled throughout the script, or maybe it’s just because Rosie O’Donnell’s character is named Becky. But one of the major themes of the film has always stuck with me: signs. Are we bound by destiny or do we determine our own fate? Or, is it a bit of both?

Meg Ryan’s character personifies the dreamy romantic that always looks for signs to validate her decisions, whereas Tom Hanks is the rational guy that lives his life based upon facts and reality. Could a person that he’s never met really be “the one” for him, especially when they live across the country? Not likely, not possible, not ever.

These contradictory outlooks on life resonate with me. I tend to think along factual, rational, logical lines, especially when it comes to business. I make decisions based upon numbers, facts, and other types of evidence. I’m always looking for holes in someone’s argument or report to ensure that it’s something that I can trust.

But, on the other side, I have this sixth sense about me that has repeatedly proven it to be dependable. I have countless incidences with déjà vu, dreams that are somewhat prophetic and a fairly solid “gut check” for direction. The decision to move to Seattle was reinforced by both the rational side and the sixth sense – something “just felt right.” Even when I take the right brain vs. left brain quizzes, I’m always right down the middle.

All things being equal, how do you know when the emotional option should trump the logical one? Or, better yet, how do you know which chances are worth taking and which are idiotic? Like in the movie, some of you might think that moving across the country for another person is a little on the crazy side, while others might think it’s hopelessly romantic. How do you know when you’re right, and have you ever look for "signs" to justify the direction you’re heading?