Overwhelm

I feel overwhelmed, with ideas, projects, emails, and family demands. Today I want to take some time to get clear about immediate priorities, and what I can put on the back burner.

Agenda:

1. Devotions

2. Beingness 

3. Earth Action

4. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

5. Beginner's mind meditation for worry

6. Teaching brainstorm

7. Projects for the week

Priority Check In

My top four priorities are:

1. Grandsons and family.  
2. Writing my book.
3. Earthcare action.
4. Integrity with home projects.

I'm not great at actual prioritizing; I set good priorities, but then don't take action on them FIRST. I have a mental disconnect between knowing my priorities and acting on them.

I'd like to set an intention this month to schedule my priorities early in the day, define the smallest step, and then give deliberate focused attention to that specific task, saying  no to distractions and other matters.

Agenda:

1. Devotions
2. Beingness 

3. Earth Action

4. Read "Perspective"

5. New narrative

6. Days of passion flow plan

Seed starting

I'm experimenting with new seed starting practices this year, to get away from using plastic and other ways we harm the earth; and also just because my seed starting hasn't been very successful lately.

Agenda:

1. Potting soil

2. Pots and trays

3. Lights and sun

4. Plant peppers

5. Brainstorm for Oneness with the Earth

Priorities

This week I've been brainstorming priorities for the next month, which is a process of decision-making: What is the next most important thing? What will give meaning to my life and help the world?

When I feel scattered it might mean I am avoiding something I need to decide, what to do and what NOT to do. Once I decide, I can set everything else on the back burner. I can explain the priorities to my team, build alignment, and eliminate chaos and that feeling of overwhelm. I can be intentional.

Agenda:
1. Love cycle
2. Read "Perspective"

3. New narrative

4. Days of passion flow plan

On Writing

Agenda

1. Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook"

2. Low status oxymoronic priorities

3. Creative Visualization

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans

New White Moon and Start of Soyal

Tonight is the new moon. The Chinese call the eleventh new moon the White Moon, perhaps because it brings the snow, or perhaps because it's a yin time of year.

And today is the start of Soyal, a Hopi ceremonial period that begins at the new moon closest to the Winter Solstice and lasts for 16 days. Soyal is short for Soyalangwul, which means Establishing Life Anew for All the World. It's a sacred time of peace and preparation for the new growing season.

Agenda Today:

1

. Read a novena

2. Settle into the Soyal Way of Being

3. Choose a month theme

4. Set intentions

5. Retreat to review the Divine Laws

6. Prayer candle ceremony

Holiday Frame of Mind

The holiday season is upon us. I'm making plans for Thanksgiving, preparing for advent, and thinking about gift-making for Christmas.

My top four tips for keeping these next months special are:

• Keep the main thing the main thing: Be clear on my holiday intentions and set priorities each week.
• Focus on savoring experiences like good meals, nature walks, and decorating together.
• Communicate early with everyone involved to confirm  schedules and priorities. 
• Don’t overspend on gifts; instead, make as many as possible and buy used books and toys.

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health, home, holiday, and prepare for Grandson fun.

 

Agenda:

1. Read "The Sweet Spot"

2. Renewal plan

3. Holiday mindset

4. Fall Cleaning and Home projects

5. Dinosaur School plans

Busy Sabbath

Today is a Sabbath so full I'm already feeling anxious. But now I take a breath - let it out - and let go of the need to do everything. I will choose my three top priorities, and let go of the rest.

Agenda:

1. Choose top priorities

2. Read "Everyday Simplicity"

First Quarter Moon of November (on Abundance)

Tonight is the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - growing in light and energy, creating a time for decisive action and full effort. 

But November is dark and wet, and this November has drained the vigor from all of us. 

I use this November quarter moon's energy to help me find the spark to keep on going; Blótmónað means Sacrifice Month, and just as Persephone goes peacefully down to the underworld every year, I release expectations and accept the peace of total surrender to what will come. Bring it on!

Agenda Today:

1. Journal queries
2. Read "Comfortable with Uncertainty"

3. Make a full effort plan

4. Low status oxymoronic priorities

Simple Abundance

Simplicity and abundance are not as much at odds as they seem. We can have full lives without being stressed and over-burdened. My goal this month is to continue with my intention to pare down to my essential priorities, while also paying attention (and opening doors) to the fullness of my life.

November is colder and wetter, drawing me deeper towards winter. This is a month when I celebrate the final fruits of summer’s work, and remember to express my gratitude.

Blótmónað is the word for November in Old English; it means Sacrifice Month, but the sacrifice is joyful, as Persephone goes peacefully down to the underworld every year. Peace is the fruit of total acceptance. In November I see the circle of life in all its full roundness - as it blossomed in spring and as it dies in fall.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Power of Less"

2. Set more intentions

3. Start an Abundance Journal

4. Simple Projects List

5. Holiday Housekeeping

Morning Ritual for Lent

My theme for Lent is Simple Living, and so far I've looked at some components of a simpler schedule and a simpler house, but I'm missing a connection to simple living and intentional living; my days are currently lacking the energetic shift I get when my priorities are clear.

Today I've decided to re-evaluate my morning routine, because when it's done right my morning-time ritual gives me the energy and focus I need for the whole day. I think I need a few simple tweaks, with inspirational elements.

Morning Routine Components:

1. Review and update my schedule

2. Effective habits journal

3. Print an inspiration page

4. Visualization ritual

Designing a practice

I need an artistic practice for the end of summer that will give me a creative outlet without too much pressure. I'm full up with expectations and caregiving; I need something that fills my creativity well without much time or energy.

The kind of filling I need is quiet and contemplative, and also short; projects or art tasks I can complete in half an hour or less.  

A day is an abundant portion of time; I can accomplish great things in a day or I can waste the day, whichever I please. And moments in a day are meant to be wasted - if I want to read a book, I should read! If I want to play a game, I should play!

But by the end of each day I want to feel like I did the work of an artist, teacher, activist, and loving human. I want and need to do something meaningful each day, to move closer to my purpose, because if I fall in to a pattern of wasted days, weeks, months, then I will feel unhappy; working on my priorities fills me and frees me.

Agenda:

1. Read the Creativity Book

2. Interesting art task ideas

3. Starting

February Order

Humans love to create order out of chaos! It's one thing we do well. Life is filled with chaos, disorder and confusion, messiness, uncertainty, and misunderstanding; that's natural and normal. Order and chaos are fluid and interconnected: Order exists within chaos, and chaos exists within order.

Creating order when you can is a form of power; orderly habits and an orderly mind will bring you clarity and peace. Creating order is ground work: Put the order in place first, then everything that follows will flow more smoothly, and when chaos inevitably happen your orderly mind will be free to handle it with equanimity.

You cannot completely organize the chaos in your life but you can create a balance between the two, finding stability with order and using chaos as an impetus for growth. Too much order borders on obsession - I can accept that a certain amount of disorder is healthy and normal, and aim for just enough order to feel like I'm creating meaning, and accomplishing many of my priorities. (I wrote a whole book on this topic, called "Get Your Ducks in a Row." )

Agenda:

1. Habits of an orderly mind

2. My integrity plan

3. Re-order my time and priorities

4. Household order

5. February organizing tips

Prepare for the New Moon

January is winding down and so is the lunar month. The next new moon, on Monday, is the Holiday Moon - the eve of the Chinese New Year.

I try to clear one day a month for this preparation work, and today's the day!

Agenda:

1. Evaluation House

2. Monthly journal brainstorm

3. Surrender, rest, recuperate

Prepare for the new Moon

 The moon today is a waning crescent , which is a time for contemplation, yielding, rest and restoration. 

The January new moon is a few days away, and that's when I set my intentions for the month ahead. Before that time arrives, I'll open to curiosity and attention, and contemplate what I might want in the 30 days ahead. 

I'll look at the great winter world for inspiration and take it inward, to incubate.

  

Agenda:
1. Monthly journal brainstorm
2. Evaluate my core values
3. Review my priorities

4. Housework - clean the living room

5. Go on a hike in the rain