Family Love and Joy

During this week of Advent my theme is "family love and joy". Of course, the joy of the season is spontaneous and un-planable, but I do these three things to create the right conditions:

My children painted these plaster houses when they were young.

• Take the time to consider what my friends and family will want most this season. In other words, I become less self-focused and more generous in all ways. 
• Be respectful, flexible, patient, and kind (no matter how stressed I feel).
• Take care of myself so I can be calm and present for the spontaneous joy when it arises.

These are obviously year-round aspirations, but I need a daily reminder now, because, somehow, everything seems more important: I have expectations (both of myself and others) about how things should go. (Those expectations are loosening as I age and I find it easier and easier to let them go.) 

Agenda this week:

1. Read a novena

2. Read "Perspective"

3. New narrative for the week

4. Card-writing practice

5. Proaction and reciprocity plans

1. Read a novena:

Today is the second day of the Christmas Novena, a Catholic ritual of a prayer recited or sung during the nine days leading up to Christmas Day. I've been reading this Creation Novena from the Indian Catholic Matters site:

Day 2: A Prayer for the Animals 

Creator God, we give thanks for the animals and for the grand diversity of life you have created. We give thanks for the roles animals play in our lives, especially as our companions. We thank You for the wellbeing they bring us and for the glory they bring to your creation. As creation faces the wave of extinctions wrought by humankind, we ask You to strengthen us with prudence. In these days of preparation for Your Son, help us seek ways of living that allow all Your creatures to flourish. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

2. Read "Perspective":

Today I am reading my new book by Meridith Elliot Powell, subtitled Reignite, Reinvent, Reframe (2025). This is the work I am dedicating myself to this advent - the Grace of keeping a positive and broad perspective, because when I open my heart to the grace and transformation of the season, and my connection to the universal Spirit, I honor All of Creation.

I'm continuing on Chapter two, The Filter Effect, which explains that the reality we experience is filtered by how we see what is happening; therefore we can frame it any way we want. We can decide it's all hopeless or we can decide to find hope.

Each chapter has an action step, which she calls the Thrive Cycle, and this first is to Condition your mind for change- start with mindset. It's all about how to choose your own filter, one that empowers you - how to tell yourself a story about what's happening that is honest, compassionate, creative, and hopeful. Our brains are wired for survival, and the default story is fear, panic, and negativity; we need to take charge of the narrative and shift away from self-protection to creativity and hope.

Mind conditioning is a practice of pausing before reacting to ask: questions. Questions are "the secret back door into your brain's belief system." Questions interrupt the default story long enough to open the door to curiosity, which uses a different part of your brain. Asking questions creates space for reflection. 

Ask: What else could be true? How else can I look at it? Can I find a creative response? Are there hidden opportunities? What might work this time?  She calls this productive possibility - finding the path forward. It's a great way for a leader to shift the perspective of everyone involved. As a leader, writer, and grandma, I am the lens through which others take cues on how to act and feel, and my energy and tone ripples outward.

I certainly have limiting beliefs and stuck patterns, and they do affect the energy in the room. I'd like to project a narrative of stability, focus, possibility, and peace. The 4 patterns I'd most like to interrupt are:

• Protecting myself from what I perceive as disrespect and unfair criticism.
• Impatience and anxiety (and frantic, sharp words) when things don't go as I planned, or as I think they should go.
• Slothfulness and overwhelm that lead to disorder in my mind and environment.
• Blunt and rude speaking-without-thinking when I am uncomfortable in social situations.

3. New narrative for the week:

My theme for next week is my guiding Light, and discernment. My story might shift towards calmness, order, and peace. 

One story reframe is "I have the time, energy, creativity, and discipline to bring order to my mind and my environment, and finish the things I start - I can just make a detailed list and check off one tiny piece at a time! It will be fun!" 

4. Card-writing practice:

Cards from Christmas 2020

Christmas cards are becoming a thing of the past, but I still like to send and receive them. Cards are pretty and personal. I especially enjoy getting cards with a brief hand-written note. I used to make my own cards, but lately I've been using leftovers.

Each morning this week I plan to address a card or two and send them on their way with love. 

5. 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:

1. QEW Thrivability speaker - write about it!
2. Go to the QEW sharing time about the EMERGE testimonies, and write about how they apply to me. 
3. Finish my Nature-Culture book intro and format as an E-book.