A year less ordinary

I have a few resolutions for this new year. OK, a lot... each day I think of more things I want to do/be/have. I so desperately want to make more time for reading, painting and yoga, which may be conquered solely by taking Monday's off. Yes, I know I'm a bit lucky to be able to vote for long weekends as I'm my own boss and, well, I can. But it will mean putting in serious effort Tuesday to Friday. For serious. Still, whoever did their best work on a Monday?

One other big resolution is to listen to my instinct more. Gut reactions are always the best, so I'm going to fine tune mine so I get it loud and clear. People who don't listen to their instinct seem to always have bad luck or lousy timing. Those who rely on their intuition don't have a breezy life, but they find themselves consistently in the right place at the right time. Here's my instinct-cranking plan:

* Meditate every morning as soon as I wake up. Doesn't matter if it's five minutes or 15, and it never matters if my mind wanders the whole time, it still makes a difference to my day.
* Buy only products - shoes, clothes, etc - that thrill me to the core. You know the dress that makes your jaw drop with OMG? Those ones. And only those I can easily afford.
* Eat food that nourishes and only when I'm hungry. As much as I love salads and roast vegies, I'm only human. And Canadian. Brownies can nourish, so can lasagna with three cheeses. But I'll only buy or make them with the best ingredients. And I've learnt over the last few months that the less sugar I eat, the less I crave, so at least banana bread won't be served with every afternoon tea.
* I'll listen to other peeps more. Every life has learnt a million lessons along their own unique journey, so rather than retorting with inappropriate jokes (I don't really. Much), I'll be trying to switch off the "What'll I say next?" button when someone else is talking. And just listen. A quiet mind is a great place for intuition to grow.

Here's a great quote from D. H. Lawrence:
For whereas the mind works in possibilities, the intuitions work in actualities, and what you intuitively desire, that is possible to you. Whereas what you mentally or "consciously" desire is nine times out of ten impossible; hitch your wagon to a star, or you will just stay where you are.

And one from Albert Einstein:
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.