Author: SP

Self-Celebration

There was a new moon early this morning, so it’s time for the last New Moon intention for 2017.

It’s been quite a year. I started in January with self-awareness because I knew I wanted to be present for this year – I wanted to deliberately and mindfully watch myself as the wheel turned. Having the concussion in late January moved me to learn many new things about how my brain and consciousness work and work together, so February’s work became about self-discovery. March brought a call for self-forgiveness, while April turned to self-determination. I don’t think it’s an accident that my mother passed away during self-determination. May was consequently about self-expression – having started to truly feel the ability to express myself without censorship.… More...

Self-Care

There was a New Moon last Saturday morning – but this is the first opportunity I’ve really had to write about the work for this cycle. December is going to be crazy for me – I think I figured that I’ll be away from home for 13 days in this cycle – including six aircraft take-offs & landings and over 1,000 miles of driving. It’s all good stuff, and they are all blessings… stamina and resiliency are going to be tough.

So this cycle is about self-care. All around me are too many examples of what happens when you don’t pay attention to what your mind, body, and spirit need. So these few weeks will see a lot of my trying to implement the things I’ve learned in the past ten months and find ways to re-charge through all of the good things that lie ahead.

Self-Reflection

For each new moon this year I’ve chosen a different facet of myself to try to develop. Last month was a little weird – I tried to find healthy ways of being attentive to myself rather than relying on unhealthy behaviors. It was good – and will continue to be – but it left me with a lot of questions about what motivates me.

So as we start to wind down this calendar year – I’m going to make this cycle about self-reflection. Taking the time to examine the efforts of the previous nine cycles and really digging in to what I need most from the last two.

Self-Attention

We had a New Moon very early Wednesday morning, but this is my first opportunity to write about this cycle’s intention. Last cycle’s theme of resiliency – bouncing up off the mat – was a good one. I used the prior cycle’s tools of self advocacy and tried to communicate clearly and concisely on a few occasions. It’s still a new skill, and I did fall a number of times – but, resiliency – we get back up.

This past weekend’s trip to LA pointed to this cycle’s work. I have a “human contact paradox” that many of you are familiar with. I want and like human contact, but I also have wicked bad social anxiety – I guess I’m like a cat that way, pet me until I scratch you.… More...

Self-Resiliency

Another new moon and another point of focus. Given the current trials with my thumb and knee, I was tempted to go for self-healing – but that would have been wrong. While I do play a part in my healing, it’s never solely up to me.

But how I choose to bounce back is. How I recover from physical injury, how I recover from emotional hurt, how I strive for new heights as I embrace the prior cycle’s theme of self-advocacy.

So this cycle holds a theme of Self-Resiliency. As I work to let go of some powerful ghosts, as I dedicate myself to new levels of spiritual growth, as I tend to the needs of this physical vessel, I need to build the space for recovery, for rebound, and look to harvest the blessings I’ve worked to sow the seeds for.

Self-Advocacy

I struggled a bit with this cycle’s New Moon intention. I’ve moved through self-awareness, self-discovery, self-forgiveness, self-determination, self-expression, and this past cycle’s focus on self-improvement. Greece helped a lot in showing what I was physically capable of, and what still needs to be changed. The trip also broadened my understanding and appreciation for my spiritual life.

I had thought this cycle might have been spent basking in the work done so far – but I’m finding I’m not quite finished with the themes of self-determination and self-expression – be it personal or professional, I’m still reluctant to truly speak up for myself.

So this cycle will be spent looking at self-advocacy. While we can look to others for help, we are the ones who are truly invested in ourselves.… More...

United 124

They say that every journey begins with a first step, and this trip was no exception. Laura & I got to the Newark airport at about 3:15pm, plenty of time to catch a 5:40p flight.

We found the economy lot, parked, got to the terminal, checked in, and made in through security in short order.

We made our way to the gate and found a United MileagePlus club just steps away, so we sat and had some snacks before going out to the gate and queuing up for the flight.

After about 20 minutes in line, there was an announcement saying that we wouldn’t be taking this aircraft after all since they’d just discovered a crack in the windshield. 

They moved us from gate 125 to gate 90 as they prepped a new aircraft, and pushed our departure time from 5:40p to 7:20p.… More...

Pre-Flight

We’re about forty-four hours from take-off for the 2017 Greece Tour. Laura and I take off from Newark on Sunday, June 25th and return back on Friday, July 7th. While we’re away, we’ll be doing quite a bit of traveling in country!

So many things to see and do, and so many awesome people we’ll be sharing the adventure with. I’m hoping that this will be a place to share the stories as they happen!

Self-Improvement

This has been a year of really being mindful of the steps on my path, and tonight brings me to another New Moon intention to set. This year I’ve moved through self-awareness, self-discovery, self-forgiveness, self-determination, self-expression – and with this cycle I move to self-improvement. I have a better sense of myself, my strengths, and limitations and I feel like I have some degree of self-determination and that I’m developing the skills to express it. So now, how to improve by building on all of that. The enlightenment I hope to get from the Greece trip feels like a great first step!!

Self-Expression

This afternoon brings another New Moon, and my evolutionary journey through 2017 continues – each new moon brings a different facet of myself to pay attention to or work on. January was self-awareness, February was self-discovery, March was self-forgiveness, and April was self-determination. Interesting that about half-way through self-determination my mother passed away.

I was involved in a very powerful and personally profound healing ritual at the retreat over the weekend. Building on the themes that it uncovered, this lunar cycle’s work will revolve around self-expression. I’m not sure what form that will take yet – but we learn as we go!