It’s a new year and a new opportunity to do great things in the world.  You get to define what doing “great” things in the world looks like for you.  Cool, huh?

As you contemplate your new year, get clear on your passions so you can let your greatness shine. Do you think of “passion” as a burning love or desire for another person? Or do you believe that passion can only be for one thing and that if you pick the wrong thing you will be doomed to a life in the wrong field?  Not so. Your passion comes from within you. It’s your natural joie de vivre. 

It may have been a long time since you allowed yourself to really feel joy and to have fun.  There’s so much to DO and there’s never enough time, right?  Yet you’ve  the same amount of hours in the day as Michelangelo, Ben Franklin, Marie Curie and Mother Theresa had, right? I challenge you to set out into 2014 with the intention to bring passion to everything you do.

Your passion is the way you approach things, the willingness to show up with a child’s eye and natural curiosity. Passion is what allows you to deeply listen to the person who is talking, even if you desperately want to finish their sentence. When you’re passionate you stop and take 10 seconds to whisper thanks into the ether because even the mundane moment is so charged with wonder.

As you open up to passion in your everyday life, you’ll rekindle a pull to do great things and make a difference. You may still believe that you have “nothing special” to offer, but the pull will remain.

When that happens it’s time to tap into your intuition.

Intuition is 100% natural.  We all have intuition. That little voice that told our ancestors that a saber tooth tiger was watching them and it was time to hightail it out of the woods, is the same voice that tells you to park in a different spot than normal when you head to work.  If you ignore that voice and you come back to the car to find it broken into – who do you blame?!

Ignoring it is what most of us do though. So here’s a quick primer on using your intuition. Whether you want to gain clarity about your purpose or you want to decide on the right time for an important conversation, listen to your intuition.

There are multiple ways to access intuition. Understanding your primary intuitive language is key to learning to use your intuition each day.  Your primary intuitive language may be:

a) Clairaudient (clear hearing). This isn’t so much voices in your head as it is words suddenly “popping into” your mind. You may zone in on the lyrics of a song that you haven’t heard in a while, or you might feel certain that you just heard someone call your name but there’s no one there.

b) Clairsentience (clear feeling).  You get a “gut feeling” when you’re struggling with a question, a challenge or a situation. You might feel a sudden tweak in your leg or back or hip and wonder where it came from.

c) Clairgustatory (clear smelling/tasting).  You suddenly smell gardenias in the dead of winter when no one else is around, or the scent of the stinky cigar your grandfather smoked – except he’s not with us anymore and there’s no one in a 10 mile radiance smoking!

d) Clairvoyant (clear seeing).  You see what appears to be images in your mind’s eye. You might see flashes of light or blurry things that are out of place in the corner of your eye. You can easily visualize things that aren’t there and can’t understand why others cannot “see” what you’re describing.

Knowing which of these senses is your ‘lead’ can help you as you tap into your intuition for practical living. You definitely have all four, but one is definitely your ringleader and will be most prevalent when you’re first working with intuition.

Next, learn to trust your intuition.

Practice by asking for guidance around a particular issue or question that’s been vexing you. Then relax.  Release any attachment to the outcome or answer. Let go of your preconceived notions and breathe deeply for a count of three.  Close your eyes and wait.  After 60 seconds or so write down whatever occurred to you while  your eyes were closed.  Even if it doesn’t seem to make any sense.  Don’t force it, just let it be.

Throughout the remainder of the day reflect on the image, scent, word/s or feeling you had and curiously explore what it could mean.

The tough part is releasing your expectation for any specific outcome.

Practice daily and track your “hits” in a specific journal.  Review your observations over time and what patterns are forming. You may note that something you wrote down 3 weeks ago actually happened today! Or perhaps you kept seeing a picture of an owl in your mind’s eye and this week your boyfriend took you to a wildlife sanctuary where you were working with injured owls!

As youflex your intuitive muscle, you can explore deeper questions, by asking, “What’s my life purpose” and writing down what you “get.”  Don’t be surprised if it’s not a complete sentence and step by step action plan. Your purpose is a way of being in the world versus a way of “doing.”

Keep that in mind as 2014 unfolds and you set your intention to show up, passionately, in each area of your life!

Written by: Peggie Arvidson