Day 7 - A Year to Clear - Departing

Lesson 7: Check In WEEK 1 - Departing

I actually discovered when my weekends are full of plans, I actually run out of time to do my 365 day challenges. I need to reassess how to do these without running behind or maybe I shouldn't stress and just do it when I can.

Anyway, today’s lesson was just to ask how we’re feeling so far and if we’ve noticed any dreams, thoughts, shifts etc that wasn’t there before. Nothing is currently in depth and people might feel like nothing is really happening at this point. I personally think it’s all fluffy at the moment until we get to some real nitty gritty tasks  along the track. I wasn’t expecting hard work right from the get go, though I can see why others may be disappointed at how it’s progressing. Personally, I feel like it’s about growth as an individual and that certainly does not happen overnight. I like the fact that what’s been mentioned is about taking slow steps to become less overwhelmed – only handle as much as you can handle.

Stephanie mentions “You are right where you should be. You do not need to try so hard. And you are not missing a thing. ;-) Have fun with this.” I am really looking to see what unfolds. I don’t want to rush things as every day is a new lesson and if it came in too hard, I think that’d be harder to manage than this slow approach. Steady she goes!

Day 6 - A Year to Clear - Four Pathways of Clearing

Lesson 6 - Four Pathways of Clearing

I'm running a bit behind today as I am not feeling well at all, so apologies to anyone wanting to read this post in a timely manner.

Today's lesson is more about setting up a clear method of 4 tools that will make this journey easier during this year of clearing. Stephanie Bennett Vogt has developed these 4 elements to be integrated into our daily routines and expand our thinking. They are:

• Intention
• Action
• Non-Identification
• Compassion
  
  All 4 are to work with each other and in turn. We set our intention with building self awareness which causes a major change in our thought processes towards clarity. I'd like to think I usually set intentions via meditation or even taking a moment to really tell myself that I'm going to do it. Action gets things into motion after setting an intention. Non-identification is becoming a "silent observer" during this one year exercise. To relax, to accept things without over thinking, to not form attachment and not to burden yourself with taking things personally. Usually when we have things we want to clear, there is a feeling that triggers us and it's about removing those immediate reactions. I know I get feelings come up during decluttering. This may seem like disconnection though we fuel it with compassion next. We direct compassion towards our self. We want to love ourselves, we want to accept all of our self as well as feed self care. We need to accept our faults, failures that occur in life, and also disappointment. This is something I've been actively trying to change in my life which definitely comes with more self awareness. We need to be gentle and start noticing the feelings we gain after each clearing interaction. Stephanie advises when we live with compassion in this way, we gain nourishment and feel safe within ourselves to truly let it all go.

Sounds pretty heavy and yet everything Stephanie puts forth makes sense. This 4 way method is like a well oiled machine and we're the drivers. I did a major declutter recently and the feeling of getting it done was like this massive relief. I know when I look at what I've reduced, there is still a lot I can let go. It's part of the reason why I am doing this year to clear. I have a lot of attached memories or feel like I need to keep things when I don't really need to. I mean, how will anyone know that I own these possessions or not? No one asks about them so who am I keeping them for really? Most of the time the items I don't even think about so why do I keep it to collect dust and take up space? I've got a bit of work to do. 

We were left with one question: "So what is one simple task you can adopt that incorporates the four pathways?" Mine is quite simple. I want to clear all this stationary I have but never use. I don't know why I've been holding onto it, I think "because it's mine". But, I need to let it go because it's just physical excess I don't need. I will sort through what's useable and what's not, give away to charity or to a friends daughter who will make use of it, tell myself it's going towards good use and that it's not going to make a difference to my life once it's gone.

Day 3 - A Year of Spiritual Awakening - Karmic Crossings

Lesson 3: You will have many karmic crossings...

I honestly had to google karmic crossings as this a foreign concept to me. I wasn't sure if that meant you've done things that causes karma to come back to you, and in a way, it is yes. Karmic crossings focuses on the souls you've come across in your journey, whether this lifetime or another that serve a soul lesson. They can be described as soul mates, as everyone that crosses your path is a soul mate, but the level of complexity of these particular relationships is how learn in this particular life time. There are 3 karmic crossings, I learned: Neutral Karmic Crossings, Complex Karmic Crossings and Cooperative Karmic Crossings.

• Neutral Karmic Crossings are those people you interact with but don't really teach you any lessons. They don't bear much energy, cross your path but aren't in your immediate soul circle. Examples of this are acquaintances you meet through a friend, a short dating stint you had back in the day, a person you interacted briefly on the train - short and quick that you would probably never remember.
• Complex Karmic Crossings are those people you interact with that present big karma, soul lessons. They are usually so full of drama that they aren't completed in this lifetime. This usually involves abuse, anger, resentment, betrayal etc. There are larger lessons to learn that each party will learn from but it's good to let go of the unhealthy toxic relationships because you'd be resolving this in other lifetimes to come or you're dealing with this from a previous lifetime.
• Cooperative Karmic Crossings are meant to be those you seek out for life. They are deep relationships that can work through the lower and negative lessons to transform into a cooperative beautiful transcendence of love, support, kindness and patience.

So details of the Lesson Three: You will have many karmic crossings in this lifetime. Those who surround you now are familiar to you; most of them, you have known before. If you are jumping levels of consciousness in this lifetime, some karmic crossings, some relationships, may be new.

The exercise is to consider now, who is with you on your journey and what karmic lessons are you learning.

I don't want to reiterate yesterday's post fully, but I find that Joanna, Debra and Nasiha are definitely cooperative karmic crossings - those within my soul circle, transforming into their true selves and teaching me that it's okay for me to be myself, see me in my own development and I have the rawest conversations with. 

If I am thinking about outside this soul circle, I have many cooperative karmic crossings. I do have one major complex karmic crossing which is my relationship with my dad. I don't usually like to call him dad as I don't think he fathered me well, he mentally and emotionally abused me, and I cut that toxic relationship out of my life for now. When I am ready to forgive, then I will reestablish that relationship. When I think of all my cooperative karmic crossings, that would involve any person in my life at present. I have worked hard to cut negative people out of my life and when I spot toxicity, I'm quick to distance myself from it. It's not to say that I'm above it, but I would like to try and avoid it with a 10 foot pole.

When I think of friends that helped me in my life, Brett, Ben and David are friends who immediately welcomed me to Melbourne during a very tumultuous time, as I'd just broken up with my ex, moved interstate and they were the first set of friends, that I truly relied on to get me out of my funk. It wasn't necessarily to talk about my feelings, but to gain some independence, and knowing that I had the strength to stand on my own 2 feet. They are still good friends to this day.

Colin, gets a mention because even though I bonded over the Flash and Arrow (DC TV Series), this guy cares more about his friends more than he cares to admit. I feel like sometimes he stresses himself worrying about us. I met Colin through Ben and probably should have met him 5 years prior to my actual meeting with him, but I guess, he came into my life when he was supposed to. He has been there during my most darkest moments. He's fun, loving, shares my sci fi passion and has got all the time in the world for his friends- something I do cherish and sometimes forget to share myself.

Amena is a friend I met through work. Didn't know if I'd get along with her if I'm going to be honest, as when paired together, we look like the most unnatural of friendships, but I think this is why it works so well. I think I came into her life so she could express herself more, not having to be closed off all the time and she came into mine, so I can be more bold. It doesn't matter what people think, just be who you are. Fuck the haters, so to speak.

I could go on listing people but these are the people on my current journey (I would say those in my Melbourne life) that stand out for major karmic crossings. Every friend has made impact, but these are my friends who came at stand out points in my life of recent times. Whether it was tragedy, loss, hard times, transformation and transition, these friends have helped guide me whether they know it or not. I am grateful for their presence in my journey as I am all my friends and family. 

Day 3 - A Year to Clear - Shedding Layers by Shedding Light

Lesson 3: Shedding Layers by Shedding Light

Today's lesson focuses on what we want to achieve during the course. How we are going to strip away layers on our path of discovery, whilst untangling our self. We want to be less wound up, be more open, have a simpler way of doing things, do away with our conditioned thinking and move forward in a more spacious home and life.

We were given this template on what we want to achieve:

• How I hope to feel as a result of clearing what no longer serves and supports me is______
• What I hope to let go of is______
• What I hope to attract is______

After some contemplation, I have come up with the following:

• How I hope to feel as a result of clearing what no longer serves and supports me is being free and being open to all possibilities.
• What I hope to let go of is wasted negative space and thoughts.
• What I hope to attract is kindred spirits and the true life I want to lead