New Moon's Arising--shining on our homes and hearts

The new moon for March is upon us.  With the March moon the Spring Season also begins.  As it happens, season of lent in the Christian liturgical year also begins this week. 

It's time to begin 'spring cleaning'-not only in our homes,but in our hearts and our lives.  I grew up Catholic and lent was always a time of giving up something we 'loved'.  For us kids, that usually meant candy.  I have friends who still follow this practice of giving something up-most often it's alcohol, coffee or chocolate. 

This year, I've decided to do this Lenten practice again: I've decided to give up being irritated-just for the next 40 days and forty nights. I might not be able to stop being irritated, but I commit to stop myself from putting what irritates me onto others.  (IE stop bitching, crabby, and blaming).  I am going to watch myself, watching myself with my reactions: (to learn about how to practice this exercise go to http://www.circleofself.com/Pdfs/aspectselements/PersonalAspectofSelfOverview.pdf  )

If I'm going to be successful, I will spend time doing some spring cleaning.  Starting in the 'easiest' place I will be truthful with myself about what needs to be cleared out of my home space-my office,my kitchen, my closets and the stuff I have stashed in the basement over the winter. Then I might move to my heart.  What am I clinging to that invites irritation into my life?What are my resentments and past hurts that small things stir up again? I will do an honest inventory of where I need to have boundaries for myself and others and where it is time to have a more clear and open heart.  Finally, I will work on housecleaning in my life--a few bad habits have taken residence in my life over this past winter.  I've brought some new people, activities and plans into my life and I  need to make space for them, so I will use the Spring cleaning and truth weighing over this first moon cycle of Spring. 

On Being Kind

“Be kinder than necessary, 

for everyone you meet is fighting 

some kind of battle.” 

― T.H. Thompson and John Watson

I have a friend and colleague who writes a blog for her friends.  She has disciplined (committed and supported) herself to do a piece of verse everyday as her morning prayer/meditation.  She sent this along to us, an invitation to 'be kinder'  and this includes to ourselves.

I'm fighting a cold today.  I succumbed to it by the stress I put on myself over the weekend.  I wasn't even aware of it until I woke up in the middle of the night unable to breathe , my sinuses were so clogged.  For me, getting a cold is always connected to stress of some sort.  I have come to the awareness nearly everyone has a pet 'illness' that visits them when they get too far out of balance.  We get out of balance when we stop being kind to ourselves--which most likely means we have also not been kind to others at the same time.