In 2022 I set a new year's intention in a new way. I meditated on what I wanted to feel most, (peaceful), and determined that was my goal. Over the course of the year I began each day affirming my desire to be peaceful, asking myself how it could be so, and adjusting my activities as best I could to serve its purpose. This practice brought me into dialogue with what I called “captains” of my inner world: Fear, Curiosity, and Compassion. I recognized that in order to be peaceful I needed to take Fear off autopilot and the only way to ensure this was to start my mornings in a round table discussion with all three captains.
This became a daily journaling practice. I experienced radical results.
As 2023 arrived, a full whirl around the sun and whorl around a snail's shell, I again asked myself: What do I want to be, feel, do, and have? The answer this year was: truthful. And so again I set out with the same daily practice of meditating each day on the desire to be peaceful and truthful.
Fun Fact: A snails whorl is completed by a full rotation around the sun. A whorl is a lasting physical manifestation of everything a snail has digested in a year.
I have recognized there is an inherent relationship between being peaceful and truthful because to be and feel peaceful we must be truthful about who we are and what we need.
Learning to be truthful is not an easy exercise.
The other day I was thinking about these words: peaceful and truthful and considering the nuance and importance of the “full” part of the word and its meaning. I do not simply desire to have truth or peace but rather to be full of these qualities. This had me wondering about how we spill, leak, evaporate, or drip from ourselves when life is rocky or dry and how, where, or when do we refill our goodness, and tap into the wellspring of life that uniquely replenishes us.
We use language like “burnout” for what actually feels empty. I have felt this. I have many friends that feel this. I have witnessed myself and others continue to attempt to run on empty which causes a breakdown physically, spiritually, and mentally. Why do we not quickly run to our wellsprings for a refill? Or better yet, why don’t we incorporate visits to the well as routine maintenance, caring for the vehicle or vessel of our lives? Most of us do routine oil changes to our cars but do not flush the worn out parts of ourselves away and refresh with new life giving substance.
I propose that we consider identifying our personal maintenance schedule and determine to keep ourselves as full as possible so that we don’t risk running on empty.
When looking for our wellspring ask how and when do we feel:
Joyful
Grateful
Peaceful
Playful
That’s where we need to go to refill.
*To read more about my practice for goal setting and daily journaling with your captains. I wrote about it here.
Antique puzzle jug by Ewenny pottery
Note: Puzzle jugs were a popular tavern game of the 18th and 19th centuries. Guzzlers were challenged to figure out how to drink without spilling from the many holes in the jug. This makes me think about playing with a chaotic schedule or with a broken vessel and the challenge of not overspilling ourselves but finding a way to direct our energy to where and what we want it to pour into.
Basket Full of Love
Exercise: *** DO THE EXERCISE BEFORE READING AHEAD!!! Get out your watercolors. Choose one color. Set a timer for 3 min. Paint a small square that one color.
Note: Using a pencil write what you notice: What is the color? How are the brush strokes? Is it opaque, watery, textured, or soft? How does it make you feel? What questions do you have? Notice how many thoughts you had and how many decisions you made for something so small. Notice how you felt making it versus how you feel thinking about it.
Dare: Do this every morning for a week. Begin a dialogue with how you approach choice.
Tell me how it went!
Tailspinning
*Set your timer for 3 min. Grab a pen and paper.
Press Go! Now free write to the following prompt:
Fetish
* Share your writing with me & I will publish one at random in the wild and unpredictable spirit of Tailspinning
Directions to Get Lost
1.Go outside. Pick up something small. Hold it with you until your heart hears it’s story.
*Give away! Enter to win a free Get Lost notepad by sharing this post with friends. (I’m lost as to how this will work, to make sure I don’t loose your email if you’ve shared it with someone please also email me: dawnbreezeart@gmail.com and let me know)