Priority Check In

 Agenda:

1. Devotions
2. Beingness 

3. Earth Action

3. Read "Perspective"

4. New narrative

5. Days of passion flow plan

1. Devotions: 

I'm reading from two lovely books: Living Earth Devotional, by Clea Dana (2013), and Earth Medicine, by Jamie Sams (1994).

Today Living Earth talks about plant allies, those plants that I am drawn to throughout my life. I have two: Oxalis, and bleeding heart, both native to my home in Astoria. Plant allies are beings , and teachers. I might remember to show them respect and curiosity "By approaching plants as teachers and allies, we create a living, sacred world."

Earth Medicine: Making Family - "Earth Mother, teach me of my kin ...Teach me every language of  the creatures that sing to me, that I might count the cadence of infinite lessons in harmony." 

2. Beingness:

For Lent I am finding creative ways to make space for Being in Nature.Today: Get close and familiar with our hawthorn tree as I figure out how to attach a squirrel feeder. Take time to talk to her and listen. Name how I feel in my body.

3. Earth Action:

Each day I am taking an action for the Earth - Today it is feeding the squirrels.

4. Read "Perspective':

I'm reading this book by Meridith Elliot Powell, subtitled Reignite, Reinvent, Reframe (2025). This is the work I am dedicating myself to this year.

I'm on Chapter four, Present Tense, which is about focus and priorities. When I set good priorities I can focus on what's most important and be more present in life. Most importantly, I can close the gap between my intention and my execution. My actions then reflect my integrity and my strategies match my purpose. I can lead with consistency rather than chaos.

Action step:

1. Set my top 3 priorities and vet them through my values.
2. Design my schedule around my top priorities - block out focused time for the work that moves the needle.
3. Say no to anything that doesn't align with those top 3 priorities.

3. New narrative:

My top priorities are:

1. Grandsons and family.  
2. Writing my book.
3. Earthcare action.

One of my weekly Creative Perspective tasks is to define a new narrative to re-frame a mind-set and expand my thinking. This week:

"Focus is my superpower, so use it!"

 

4. Days of passion flow plan:

The next few days are the best block of time I have for healthy obsession. Today I make a plan for Nature-Culture flow and writing through the next week. My Nature-Culture theme this month is late winter regeneration and awareness. Today I am brainstorming the next topics in my Winter chapters, and also some garden, advocacy, and community tasks to support that work:

• Today: BE with Hawthorn tree as I attach a squirrel feeder.
• Begin to plan questions and a blurb for Water Talk with discussion of how to bridge the gap; season with others.
• Sat: Write Reciprocity: Write about Lobby Day in Salem.
• Attend fourth "Return to the Earth", and write about how de-colonization connects to Earthcare.
• Sun: Write Awareness: Intro to Late Winter; Winter rain meditations
• Plant Peas.
• Plan a watercolor of our watershed.
• EC report at Business Meeting
• M: Write Natural Living: Beingness; Air pollution practices
• EC agenda
• Write next Earth Action News
• Prune & fertilize raspberries.
• Nature Being poetry
• T: Rain walk with Arthur
• W: Write Reciprocity: Network with neighbors; plant library 
• Update Interfaith Earthkeepers calendar. Add my event; Send a reminder to the email list to send events and share their Light with others.
• Th: Begin to plan how to blog my book to share. 
• F: Write Sanctuary: Prepare for planting; potting soil; planting; and native plantings
• Prepare to plant leeks, bok choy, and snapdragons.