New Lotus Moon

The new moon rises today; the Chinese call the sixth new moon the Lotus Moon. The lotus is the "flower of open-heartedness", an emblem of purity, fruitfulness (because of its many seeds) and creative power. And since lotus leaves protect the goldfish under them (a symbol of prosperity), the lotus also symbolizes abundance year after year.

Detail from "Connect", acrylic

A lotus flower grows out of the mud, and blossoms above the muddy water surface. Buddhists teach that, like a lotus, we can rise above the suffering and conflicts of life. The Lotus Moon, then, is the natural time to dig into the mud of my life, and seek out the best ways to grow above the fray.

Agenda:

1. Retreat Day

2. Read "How to Deal with Anger"

3. New narrative for anger management

4. Choose a month theme

5. Set intentions

1. Retreat Day

The new moon is the start of the lunar cycle, a time of high energy and clear thinking. Historically, the new moon is when women took time to be alone; it's a time to retreat, set intentions, and initiate something new. 

If at all possible, I schedule a day of retreat on the new moon, or near to it, and so yesterday I had a day to rest and recover.

2. Read "How to Deal with Anger":

I'm reading this book by Isabel Clarke (2016) that I got at Powells, because after my last explosion I decided I won't reach equanimity without managing my anger. Part 1 is Support, and Chapter 2 is The anger trap, about how anger gets a grip, and my body and feelings take over. 

Feeling under threat is a common human experience. I experienced a lot of emotional threat and belittlement as a child, and I have a lot of emotional mind memory that haunts me now. When my emotional mind takes over, reasonableness has a hard time acting, but it's good to remember that neither is in complete control - they have overlap, which I can call my Wise Mind. I need to develop it into a Negotiator, to listen both to reason and emotion and make a wise decision. 

That's where Dialectical Behavior Therapy can help, because it's a way to manage my emotions with mindfulness, and balance the two sides: The trick is to see the good in both reason and emotions and work out the wisest way forward.

Self-Assessment: Anger Journal- keep track of every time I feel miffed, belittled, or angry.

1. Write what was happening
2. What I noticed in my body
3. How I reacted.

3. New narrative for anger management:

One of my weekly Creative Perspective tasks is to define a new narrative, today for the habit of anger management.

Whenever I feel miffed, impatient, or angry, I will journal about what happened, how I reacted, and what I could have done better. 

4. Choose a month theme:

Today I choose depth as my theme for the next month, and begin to give attention to it. I reach my depths when I follow the true course of my life, like a river flowing through a deep ravine. Staying on my path requires courage, honesty, and persistence. The path is always mysterious, and leads to unexpected challenges and changes. I’m directed back at every turn into the deep waters within myself, to discern the best route.

Goals for this area might be to find my true purpose in life, gain greater courage or persistence, make a change in my job or career, or discern my “natural” course.

This month I'll discern my next steps on my path, study transforming power and make a plan for utilizing it, and go deep with anger-management and . My depth practices this month are:

1. Transforming power practices for discerning my truth, inner-synergy, mindfulness, and persistence.
2. Daily Anger Journal, for recording little and big feelings.
3. Moon cycle and Depth of Purpose rituals: Practices that anchor my everyday actions to my core values.
4. Simple Projects List and the discipline to Finish Things I Start.

4. Set intentions:

Last week I brainstormed some wild and crazy ideas for the next 30 days, and today it's time to narrow it down a little, to the priority items that I could possibly focus on this next month. This isn't a list of the practical things I need to do this month; rather it's my top actions, studies, and growth goals that fit with the "taste" of this month of my life.

After I list my top goals for the next 30 days, I'm ready to set some intentions for action. I chose a few to write today - those I might act on today - then I'll work on a few more each day this week.

I intend to practice anger management, starting with an Anger Journal, and mindfulness, to balance reason and emotions and work out the wisest way forward, instead of exploding in frustration or rage, because that is not the legacy I want to leave for my grandsons.

 

I intend to practice transformative habits - discerning my truth, inner-synergy, mindfulness, and persistence - and anchor my everyday actions to my core values, because 

this is what will give me the power to change the world.

I intend to have the discipline to act persistently on my priorities, and finish things I start, because my brilliant ideas won’t have any impact on the world unless I put them into form, and finishing projects (one by one) satisfies my need for completion, integrity, and order.