Backwards one step

Sisyphus Vik Muniz - Photograph (2011)

Yearning Moon - What desires, deep within, are yearning to be fulfilled, and how might you begin to take steps toward fulfilling them?

“When giving careful and calculated thought on how else you might see certain situations differently than you now see them - including your entire life, for that matter - please keep in mind, that occasionally being on "the fringe," is good.” TUT: a note from the Universe

“It’s helpful to step back and see the bigger picture” Richard Carlson

Dreams Checklist

SMART Goals – check

Affirmations – check

Able to use all 5 senses to visualize completion of goals - check

Announcement Ritual – check

Belief – check

Creative Visualization Collage – check

Baby Steps towards goal – check

Asking for help – check

Shake in some magic - check

Purposefully take a backwards step – Are you crazy?

As you can guess by now, I’m a little structured in how I go about getting my dreams and goals (Maybe it is because there is always a Capricorn Moon present in January?).  But, purposefully stepping back or stepping say a little to the right or to left is healthy.  It gives you a different perspective like a camera zooming out or zooming in for detail.  I’ve found that it helps me to stay on track and maybe adjust my course setting to something better.      

Last year I received training to become a circle leader for the Wild Woman Project’s New Moon Meditation. This international project’s purpose is to bring women together (note: some circles are co-ed) in order to create a trusting and supportive space to express what’s on their hearts.  Holding the circles on the New Moon is symbolic.  The New Moon is seen as a time of new beginnings and setting your intentions.  It’s a time to start fresh with a clean canvas and new paints; or seed packets for newly tilled loamy soil; or soft blue wool to cast on; or a new document in word. 

January’s New Moon Circle was on soulful structure for getting our goals and dreams.  I was jazzed for this.  I had created my re-solution list earlier this month.  I had my SMART Goals written into my dream book.  I’d plan out my ritual to announce to Motherfather Spirit my intention on the new moon.  And, then I looked at the circle leader’s curriculum guide.  The curriculum asked me to take a step backward and rethink my approach in getting my dreams and goals.  My initial response – are you crazy?  I’ve got a good system going on here why break it.

The curriculum exercises are based on Danielle LaPorte’s work.  Basically, it challenges us to examine what it means to be successful.  The activities make us take a step back away from our tangible dreams, resolution lists, SMART goals and bucket lists.  We’re asked: 1) Are these things and goals really that important to us?  2) Why do we want to get them? 3) Do we want them because of what others think or believe?

Looking at my list, many of my goals for the year sit in the professional, fame and money categories.  Working through the exercises, I quickly realized that these have been heavily influenced by what people have told me means to be successful.  True, I feel called to do some of the goals and dreams, but is this really what I’m looking for?

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“The appearance of things changes according to the emotions; and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.”  ~ Khalil Gibran

“[E]motions are feelings caused by physiological changes such as sweating or a racing heart.” Jean-Paul Sartre

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One of my SMART Written re-solutions is to walk two ½ marathons this year.  I’ve walked ½ marathons before.  Stepping back I examined the feelings I get walking across the finish line:  tears of joy, wooowee heart dance, and confidence come to mind.  LaPorte says these emotions are how I define being successful.  These emotions should be more important than all the bucket lists and things I do.  These emotions should be what I’m trying to manifest with all the things I do or create.

My goal list should look like this

Interconnected

Creative

Joyful heart

Dancing heart

Relax

Peace
Loved

The SMART Written re-solution lists should be aligned with these emotions that make me feel successful.  If they aren’t, I really need to ask why they are on my list or why I’m even doing them. 

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Activity – Reexamine your Re-solution list

Journal on the following

What emotions make you feel successful?  How do you feel when you’re successful?  Are the activities that you are planning to do this year – make you feel this way?

If you were to get your dream/SMART Goal how do you want to feel?  Who will be the first three people you tell? Include the answers in your dream journal.


Note on the photograph: You should check out the work by Vik Muniz who is a Brazilian Photographer.  Muniz creates art by working with the Brazilian trash pickers, arranging garbage and taking photographs of them from a distance.  The work brings focus to the trash pickers and why they do this work.  The documentary Waste Land is moving. makes us examine our thoughts about living in poverty.