Tuesday for Clarity

Tuesday is my day to look at my social and emotional self, and make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view and treat the people in my life.

This is the yin time of the waxing crescent moon, a phase of growth, when I am planting my intentions and caring for them. I'll take time to discern and create clarity. 

Agenda: 

1. My anger journal

2. Read "How to Deal with Anger"

3. Create clarity

1. My anger journal:

I'm keeping an Anger Journal to record every time I feel miffed, uneasy, disappointed, tense, defensive, belittled, or angry. And I want to get more focused on recording what I notice in my body. The worst this week was when I lost control of my mouth and made some unfair judgements. I didn't understand their dynamic and now I do (still don't like it but it's none of my business). Could I have found a nicer way to get that information?

2. Read "How to Deal with Anger":

I'm reading this book by Isabel Clarke (2016) that I got at Powell's, because after my last explosion I decided I won't reach equanimity without managing my anger. Part 2 is Tackle: Get to grips with what you need to do to make a change.

The last chapter was all about noticing early warning signs: Tense shoulders and face, shallow breath, and higher voice. If I can notice these signs early enough I will have a chance to cool them down and let Wise Mind suggest a course of action. I can try Relaxation / Breathing:

1. Breathe in for a count of 1-2;
2. Breathe out for a count of 1-2-3-4, and RELAX at the same time.

Chapter 5 is Now You Have a Choice. This chapter points out two obstacles: First, do I even want to manage my anger? Or do I want to just get my way at any cost? Second, it just might be too hard to stop my anger reaction. 

The other tool that is effective in this case is mindfulness: Gentle, compassionate curiosity, in-the-moment; noticing my body, my feet on the floor, my judging, something I can see, hear... Mindfulness helps to bring me into the present during an anger challenge so that I have the option to make a different choice.

3. Create clarity:

Every month in the yin time of the waxing crescent moon, I look at my level of clarity. A lack of clarity causes stress, inaction, a scattered focus, relationship difficulties, and confusion for my teams. Clarity helps me to focus, to take action, to feel energized.

Today I will think about areas I might need to find clarity in:

• My mission in life
• My current priorities
• My health goals
• My responsibilities and self-expectations
• My morning routine
• My financial plan
• My relationships

Journal: Three things seem unclear - 

How can I best support Aldo this fall? 

How will we ever finish our Big Projects? 

How can I optimize my energy and get things done?

Discernment: Think before acting; listen within deeply, and seek clarity; make wise choices, with an open mind. Since my month theme is balance and flow, I'm looking to discern how to ground myself and let my intuition lead me. 

So the next step is to sit with these three thoughts and brainstorm a way forward. Ideas:

• Projects: Return to a discussion time to set week goals and find out how I can best support forward effort. What is the top priority and how can I help? 
• School anxiety: I could research some ways to help with anxiety; I could talk more to Alexis and find out concrete steps we could take.
• Energy: I guess I need a flexible flow plan to kick start afternoon tasks...