Active Hope

My theme this year is Active Hope.

None of us know what the future holds - what movements might rise up; what a big corporation may suddenly decide to do; what planetary shifts might still occur. But as environmental journalist Arno Kopecky writes in his book “The Environmentalist’s Dilemma”: We are “living on borrowed time. The worst is yet to come.”

Agenda:

1. Review the Divine Laws
2. Prayer candle ceremony
3. Read "Active Hope"

4. Hope and resilience steps

5. Simple steps for health and order
6. Create an intentions ritual

1. 

Review the Divine Laws:

This is the last day of Soyal. At Soyal, I review the Divine Laws, as I see them. A Divine Law is anything that comes directly from God: a natural law, universal truth, principle, or a rule of conduct that is inherent and essential in human society.

Today I will review my testimony of Active Hope: Maintain a clear view of reality; identify what I hope for - the direction I’d like things to move in and the values I'd like to express; take steps to move in that direction.

2. Prayer Candle ceremony:

I'm enjoying a daily prayer candle ceremony throughout Soyal, using small candles and candle ends and choosing a new candle to add each day.

Today I light a red candle for active hope, and ask the Spirits to bring the rain of loving care down upon the whole world.

3. Read "Active Hope':

I'm very slowly reading "Active Hope - How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy", by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone (2012). "Our approach is to see this as the starting point of an amazing journey that strengthens us and deepens our aliveness. The purpose of this journey is to find, offer, and receive the gift of Active Hope."

Chapter One is Three Stories of Our Time. The third story is the Great Turning - the Sustainability Revolution has begun and it is contagious. We are finding the "commitment to act for the sake of life on Earth, as well as the vision, courage, and solidarity to do so."

The Great Turning has three dimensions that we can engage with: 

• Holding actions, aimed at slowing down the damage caused by "business as usual". We can protect what's left of our biodiversity, and care for those who have been damaged by war, fires, and injustice. We can protest, educate, document, petition, boycott, and rally. 
• Life-sustaining practices, rethinking and reinventing the ways we live, grow food, do business, invest, build houses, communicate, and teach; new social and economic structures.
• Shifting consciousness, connecting to the caring and compassion that inspires us to act; our values, thinking and perceptions. 

4. Hope and resilience steps:

I'm setting myself Hope and Resilience tasks each week: Define a bit of real crisis, a vision of the change I want to see, and steps to take, along with one new resilience skill to build. This week:

1. Crisis: Biodiversity loss- Since 1955, biodiversity loss due to human activities has been greater than at any time in human history, caused by habitat loss, agriculture, over-exploitation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change.
2. Vision: Increased urban habitat for birds and butterflies.
3. Steps: Plan more native bird and butterfly habitat to plant.
4. Resilience skill: Awareness walking - even a short walk - with attention on the nature I share life with.

5. Simple steps for health and order:

This year I've decided to review and work at the Simple Steps model for improving my self-care and home-care practices. I will choose one new habit in each area, each week, to build and monitor. I will set an intention that uses the action + deepest reason model. This week:

I intend to walk an average of 3000 steps a day this week (and gradually grow that to the suggested 7000), because this is the best low-impact exercise for me; it will reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease, build muscles and cartilage that will help reduce arthritis pain, burn calories and lessen sugar cravings, and improve my mood and mental resilience.

 

I intend to "speed eliminate" as many items from my living room as possible - old toys, books, craft supplies, and things that don't belong in the living room - working systematically and daily through every space in the room, because this is the first step in creating order. 

 

6. Create an intentions ritual:

Now that I am through Soyal, I want to regroup and settle into a daily routine that reminds me of my top priorities for the day, 

 my deepest reasons why, and also my emotions, energy, challenges, etc. 

My preference is to review my intentions in the morning; that's when my head is clear and I am most creative. I make it into a little ceremony that is a soothing routine. Here's my plan:

• Get my morning coffee and sit in my favorite chair. Light a candle. 
• Visualize my day ahead with a wide-angle view - the people I will see and the situations that might arise.
• Review and fill in my Priorities Grid for the day, choosing tasks and activities from a range of my priorities. 
• Look through my schedule and picture each of today's priority tasks. Make adjustments, and note any preparations or challenges I need to consider - do I have supplies to gather? calls to make? do I need to schedule alone time or a walk?
• Next, choose the top 3 most important tasks, that will lead me in the direction I want to go. List each in my journal, with a mantra that describes why. Picture the moment I will start it, and how I will feel when I complete it. Ask, "Is this truly leading me in the right path? And is it do-able?" If yes, then commit to act on it with vigor today!
• Blow out the candle.