Transformative Habits

I've been reviewing some of the transformative habits I've developed over the years. Last week I wrote about the journal-brainstorm process, and a vision walk, which are steps in discernment. Today I'll write a bit more about discernment, and some of the steps after discernment.

Agenda:

I. Read PowerHunch

2. Visualization

3. Review intentions

4. Morning ritual

1. Read Powerhunch:

I'm reading a book by Marcia Emery, called Powerhunch: Living an Intuitive Life. I'm a little skeptical because of some of the woo-woo language, and the focus on "gut feelings", but I'm giving it a chance.

The fist chapter is "Tap Into Your PowerHunch Source". "An integral part of emotional intelligence is knowing what you're feeling." She talks about body awareness and sensory signals, and how to connect them to messages you get from your mind, heart or soul - the mind-body connection. The author points out that we each have a dominate body awareness sensation or two, and we might assume that everyone processes information like we do, but that's not true. 

I've been told I need to "feel it in my gut", but that is not at all my dominant sensation. I'm pleased to find out that body awareness sensations include hearing and seeing, which I do relate to. I definitely process information by pausing to listen within for advise, or by squinting to picture an answer.

2. Visualization: 

One of my favorite authors, Shakti Gawain, has a book called "Creative Visualization", which got me through a very difficult summer of healing long ago. Because of my visual and auditory sensitivity, this is the process I use for knowing what I'm feeling. 

Visualization is a scientifically proven technique for performance improvement, based on the idea that "seeing is believing". It also helps with relaxation and self-confidence. It works because brain neurons interpret imagery as equivalent to reality.

Visualization creates new neural pathways, just like a memory or a learned behavior.

Today I'm trying to discern what I hope to achieve with a tricky leading I have. I want to picture the best outcome. These are my steps:

1. Light a candle and dim the lights.
2. Say, "Today I call on the Spirit of Love to bring me clarity and open my eyes to the possibilities of this leading - what is it I am yearning for?"
3. Relax, breathe, walk or float: With each breath, allow my awareness to deepen and become softer. No stress. No rush. Walk or float in an imaginary void.
4. Gently bring my awareness to my leading - I see it as an ill-formed blob filling me with anxiety. As I gaze down at it, I find myself wanting to comfort it (poor little blob). I yearn to birth it, to deliver it to my community. But right now it's just an embryo. I need to find a midwife, and get some care for me and my blob!
5. Give thanks and return: Saying thanks out loud is how I acknowledge the reality of the gift of my vision.
   

That's the way visualization works for me - it often gives me a message or insight that makes my next step clear. And following this visualization I found the courage to call a friend for help and she is willing!

3. Review intentions:

Intention-setting is not something I invented, but my process is unique. I use it as a direct response to the pervasive "cult of the affirmation". (If affirmations work for you, that is fine; because of the way my mind works, I find it impossible to believe in affirmations; they just seem like telling myself a lie.) 

An intention is defined as "a determination to act in a certain way; resolve; to reach a firm decision about." Some writers define an intention as an aim or goal, but intentions aren't the same as goals: 

• Goals are a plan for the future that help us stay on track with who we are becoming. 
• Intentions are a proposal for the present that remind us of who we are now, and how we want to be in the world. Intentions remind us of our deepest, most essential, most passionate reasons for living.

How to set an intention:

1. Ask yourself, "What one thing could I do today that would move me in the direction of what seems like the highest priority in my life, and my most essential reasons for living?" Or ask, like Ben Franklin did every morning, "What good shall I do this day?"
2. Write down one action, or way of being, that impacts or moves you towards what seems like the highest priority in your life.
3. Ask yourself, "What is my deepest reason behind this action? Why do I want to do it?" Dig as deep as you can, to find the juicy, life-changing, world-saving reason that is pushing you.
4. Write out your intention: "I intend to (the action) because (deepest reason).

For example, today I write: "I intend to write to my friend to ask for help with my blob of a leading, because she is the one who might be the midwife, and give me and my blob the care we need. Also, I will throw myself on the mercy of my clearness committee and ask them to consider what help they can give going forward, because this leading is a community affair, bigger than me, and I admit I need help to birth it."

Setting daily intentions helps me reach my goals, because intentions allow me to stay aware of the values and principles that guide me and inspire me. When I remember the deepest, most passionate reasons for the daily actions I want to take, I find inspiration and motivation to grow as a person, and achieve my priorities in life.

4. Morning Ritual:

Earlier this week I wrote about this week's plans for full effort. Plans are all well and good, but only if you pick up the thread of the plan each day and continue on. To that end, I have a flexible morning ritual that reminds me why I want to do that.

This is the first step to full effort; you give it full attention: You remember your intentions - what it is you want to do and your deepest reasons why - and also notice your emotions, energy, challenges, etc.

This takes me about 30-minutes every morning, and it's the first thing I do, after making my coffee. 

1. I journal about my day ahead (or sometimes just visualize it) with a wide-angle view - the people I will see and the situations that might arise. I also make note of emotions, energy, challenges, etc.
2. I look over my schedule, and make it reasonable.
3. Check that I am touching on each of my priorities, but choose tasks that fit well with the day. (I've got a colorful spread sheet chart for that.) Ask, "Is this truly leading me in the right path? And is it do-able?"
4. Next, I go back through my schedule, picturing or listing each of today's priority tasks in the order I will do them. 
5. I think about what I need in order to start and complete each priority - do I have supplies to gather? calls to make? and put these on my schedule as well; and I list the virtues I will need: courage, flexibility, tenacity, etc.
6. Then I highlight a few TOP priorities, those that will have the biggest impact or that are time sensitive, and I review my intentions, including my deepest reasons, for doing them. I think about the moment I will start each of these top priorities, and how I will feel when I complete them, and commit to act on them with vigor!