KEEPING SPACE FOR WHAT WE HOLD DEAR

Collage Journal

It's 97° today where I live, too hot to leave the air conditioning.  But if your work is done and you have some time, here's an indoor exercise that helps us identify what values we hold dear and then keep space for them.  I found it a positive thing to do and maybe you will too. 

First, using stream-of-consciousness. answer these questions:

• What do you have (or want to have) that's important to you?
• What do you want to do?
• Who do you want to be? 

Writing quickly I listed the things I have that are important to me:  my marriage, my family, some close friends, my faith, my home and the peacefulness it imparts.  Before I was retired, I would have included my job, (representing people injured by their health care), which was fulfilling.  What I want to have  are solutions to
personal problems that are ongoing.  We may all have some of those.

What I want to do is to give love, be kind, spread joy, and leave good memories for others.  Again, quickly jotted down.  Others' answers will be different.  Earlier in life mine would have included good parenting, providing for the family, being a good lawyer, etc.  My responses are general, but others may be specific:  You may want to volunteer, get home earlier, stay healthier, be more optimistic, find time for creativity, take a course, have financial security. . . .

And who I want to be?  Myself, the person I am now but closer to God, less judgmental, more mindful, keeping good memories close, accepting the past and the present. . . .  And so much more.  Again, stream-of-consciousness. 

The idea in doing this is to discover our core values and then align our decisions and goals with these.  We all want a place in our life  for what matters to us.  

I forgot one:  travel.  The pandemic has made this difficult, but for me travel touches on many core values:  happiness, growth, adventure, knowledge, boldness, fun, openness, optimism, balance, challenge and curiosity.  

This exercise has told me that I need to plan a trip.  A hot July day at the computer reminding me of the benefits of travel; not a vacation--we all need time off--but travel.  Isn't that the most wonderful thing?  I will plan something; such fortune to be able to, so many years when I couldn't. 

See what the exercise tells you.   I hope something good.        

 Love, Nina Naomi