My theme for Lent this year is the Road to Resilience. I'm trying to build and strengthen my ability to bounce back from challenges, conflict, and calamity. My goals are:
- Resilience Habits: Resilience has lots of parts - equanimity, flexibility, resolution, tenacity, social intelligence, and optimism to name a few. I want to gradually add in some useful daily habits as a practical way to grow in recilience.
- Fast from binge eating: I try to choose something to fast from that is a good symbol of how I am trying to grow, and I think my binge eating has a direct connection to feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges.
- Educate myself: I'm reading the book The Coward's Guide to Conflict: Empowering Solutions for those Who Would Rather Run Than Fight.
- Inner work: Ground myself in journaling, meditation, and prayer to connect to my core of peace and courage.
- Take creative action: Take decisive action on adverse or challenging situations as they arise, and use my creative super powers to grow, and make the world better.
March 15 - 3rd Sunday of Lent
1. Journal queries: What have I learned so far from my Lenten fast and study? What is the next step to take towards resiliency? Ground myself in optimistic hope for the future, and become more open to the best actions to take.
2. Chant the The Ashem Vohu, a prayer with universal appeal. The word Ashem has many meanings: Law, Order, Beauty, Truth, Righteousness, Purity, Freedom. This one word expresses Divine truth, purity of body and mind, and all the beauty of nature. It's a central idea in Zoroastrianism.
This prayer is like a mantra, to be chanted slowly. To hear it recited, go to this link.
ashem vohû vahishtem astî
Truth is the best good.
ushtâ astî
It is happiness.
ushtâ ahmâi hyat ashâi vahishtâi ashem.
Happiness is to one whose truth (represents) best truth.
March 17, St. Patrick's Day-
3. Plant peas: The corona virus has caused my town to close down: Schools are closed, the library is closed, all my meetings and classes are cancelled. I'm turning my creative energy towards my garden.
In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is the traditional day to plant peas and potatoes (or so some people say). Today I'll put in a second row of peas.
In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is the traditional day to plant peas and potatoes (or so some people say). Today I'll put in a second row of peas.
March 18, Red Wednesday-
4. Resilience habits: This week I've begun to list out some optimism habits, because the pandemic news is pretty depressing. Positive thinking is a more productive way to approach hardships; it reduces anxiety, fosters strong relationships, and allows me to handle stressful situations better, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on my body. Optimism is a coping mechanism.
This week I'm trying these habits:
4. Resilience habits: This week I've begun to list out some optimism habits, because the pandemic news is pretty depressing. Positive thinking is a more productive way to approach hardships; it reduces anxiety, fosters strong relationships, and allows me to handle stressful situations better, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on my body. Optimism is a coping mechanism.
This week I'm trying these habits:
1. Acknowledge my achievements: This is already a habit for me - Every night I list what I've accomplished, which allows me to stop listening to my inner critic and appreciate my daily successes.
2. Create positive mantras: Look out for negative thoughts that pop into my head and replace them with positive messages. Write these down and repeat them on a daily basis.
3. Turn Off the News: I normally don't watch the news, but I feel I need to keep informed, so I'm allowing myself to read a little and watch a little. It's definitely contributing to my bad mood.
This week I'll try to balance my news intake with healthy discussions about it with friends and family; hopefully this will offer me some balanced views on the news.
March 19-
5. Study "The Coward's Guide to Conflict": Read Chapters 11-13 this week. Also, practice identifying the underlying emotions in any conflict... Anger is often front and center, but the real emotion might be hurt, embarrassment, or even sadness. Anger is harder to deal with than these softer emotions, so if I can begin to identify them I will have an easier time with conflict. I can practice with my own emotions, with emotions on TV, and with real conflicts with friends and family. I can begin to be honest about my own emotions, and also help others to identify their own.
March 20, Vernal Equinox-
5. Journal queries: Consider the balance in my life.
How well do I balance my physical, mental, and spiritual needs?
How well do I balance my physical, mental, and spiritual needs?
How can I balance my personal needs with my commitments to the outside world?
How do I balance my Being-ness (mindful, compassionate, grateful) with my Doing (engaged, kind,and giving)?
Think also of the balance in the world; meditate upon what this half of the year will bring, dark and light, and how best I can take right action in the world.
March 21, Nowruz-
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