On Writing

Agenda

1. Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook"

2. Low status oxymoronic priorities

3. Creative Visualization

1. Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook":

I'm reading this book by Loren Swift (2019), subtitled "Assuming Leadership in a New World." The premise is that lack of care for each other (people) results in lack of care for the earth. "This book details the practical steps to shift the paradigm internally from conflict to cooperation and to make the same shift in relationships and in group endeavors." Well, that is the work I need to do this winter.

I'm winding up Chapter 3 -  The Science of Oneness, which moves slowly towards a practice she calls Embodying Universal Qualities of Life in the Spectrum of Love (really flows off the tongue). The first step is always to name the qualities of life I'm after, how I would most like my state of being to be ... calm, wise, energetically engaged, creative, meaningful, respected and respectful, inspired and inspiring, loved and loving, simple, and full of integrity. With this list in hand, my motivation is clear, and I am empowered to find the strategy.

Purpose: To live the Qualities of Life I most cherish; to be coherent no matter the chaos of the moment; to be a constructive force; to remember to reconnect with my natural state; to be vibrantly alive and feel the expansive beauty of the creativity flowing through me.

Embodiment Practice: 

1. Start with a Kindness Meditation to relax and become present.
2. Consider my day ahead - What stands out the most? What feelings and body sensations do I have when I imagine that part of my day? 
3. Consider what experience I am most longing for, and name the qualities of life I'm after, how I would most like my state of being to be.
4. Focus on one quality and let myself be filled with the living energy of that quality. Breathe in its energy, and let it fill and expand into my whole being.
5. Journal abut this experience and how it affected my body, heart, and mind.

The goal then is to practice this until I can tap into a specific quality of life at will. And the more often I am able to embody a coherent state of being, the easier it will be for others around me to also exist in those states, because they will sense it and tune in to it with "morphic resonance";they will begin to vibrate at the same frequency.

2. Low status oxymoronic priorities:

Unfortunately, not all of my priorities share equal status. For some reason, some of the actions that I hold very high in priority just don't get the attention they need. I call these my "low-status (oxymoronic) priorities". Often self-care and housework fit into that category; also, lately, writing my book.

I try to keep track of these weekly, and make adjustment, but if things continue to be out of balance over a few weeks, I need to regroup: 

Do I need to lower my expectations for a while because I'm are running on low energy? 

Do I need to sideline a committee that is draining too much of my time?

Or maybe I can initiate a Focus Day to catch up, or a new renewal plan to bring myself more consistently to the self-care I need.

After the big push to finish my book introduction before Christmas, I have been doing less work on it, sometimes none at all for days. Today, I set this intention:

I intend to simplify the blog writing I'm doing each morning, and keep my Book Writing Time sacred; to bring myself more consistently to the task of writing my Nature-Culture book. My goal is to create a real-life-living concept to help us to shift the paradigm our culture is so mired in, with an easy to follow step-by-step guide, and exciting, inspirational challenges, because this is one way to use my creativity and courage to save the planet.

 

3. Creative Visualization:

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Every month, at the waxing gibbous moon (my last push for action), I call on the practice of visualization to help me to see the next steps towards bringing my goals to fruition.

Today I shine a light on my writing practice. The quality of life (Need) I want to embody is creative obsession and inspiration, a kind of healthy manic state of producing an out-pouring of words that will inspire change in the world.

Creative visualization is a technique that uses my imagination to create change. (Because of my visual and auditory sensitivity, this is the best process for knowing what I'm feeling.) It has these steps:

• First, set an intention: Say, "Today I call on the Spirit of Love to bring me clarity and open my eyes to a vision of myself as a productive writer, pouring the words onto the page each day until the book is finally done." 

• Center and relax each part of my body: With each breath, allow my awareness to deepen and become softer. No stress. No rush. I walk or float in an imaginary void. Open a connection to Spirit. Feel a soft warmth begin to grow and spread through me, until I am radiating quiet energy.

• Create a clear, detailed picture in my mind, as though the objective has been reached. Paint a vivid mental image of myself doing the prep work each night so I can finish my blog writing in the allotted time in the morning, and move directly to book writing at 5:30 when the alarm goes off; and settle then into a state of creative obsession and inspiration, a kind of healthy manic state of producing an out-pouring of words that will inspire change in the world. Put as much positive energy into the images as possible. 

• Lastly, affirm that this is what I want with a short positive phrase in the present tense: "Today I will begin a practice of Sacred Writing Time Obsession."

• Give thanks and return: Saying thanks out loud is how I acknowledge the reality of the gift of my vision.

The thought-image is like a signal-flare that guides the physical thing or deed to manifest in my life (and it's a good way to keep my intentions in my mind). I will carry the vision of the completed goal with me, and focus on it often during the day, in a gentle manner.

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans:

On Wednesdays I often journal a bit about the future, and my dreams and goals: What GREAT things do I want to accomplish? How will I serve people? How will I use my talents? How will I stretch myself? How can I become an “island of excellence”? What is essential?

Then I try to define achievable, meaningful goals and prioritize the goals and tasks with the greatest long-term impact.

This next week I hope to:

• Write about Awareness: How to monitor your air quality and winter temperature (climate change awareness); and Imbalc.
• Attend the Interfaith Earthkeeper's meeting to stress my priorities of legislation and supporting Faith events.
• Attend another webinar to get clear on the Super-fund bill.
• Write about Sanctuary: Soil health; Prepare for late winter seed starting.
• Give attention to making a single printed copy of my book introduction to share at Meeting.
• Have a Beginner's Mind meditation on a winter nature awareness retreat program, and how to lead some kind of climate change ceremony.
• Write an agenda for the Earth-care Meeting that includes a report on the superfund bill, clean water bill discussion, a tree walk, and plans for a climate cafe and ceremony.