Tool Box
Who are you?
-
Are you an introvert or extrovert?
-
Do you learn by reading, listening, or doing?
-
Do you help everyone, even if they don't seem to care about you?
​
We all have characteristics that are a part of who we are. Other people also have characteristics that drive us crazy.
​
There are some "tests" or inventories that can measure how you deal with the world and with yourself. It's important to remember that these are tools that might help you, not weapons or life sentences that will hurt or condemn you.
​
We may use some of these to help you see why you make some choices, what you need in order to find your own path, and how you can communicate with others. We can also use these insights to decide what prayer or meditation styles will be best for you.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Things I like to do to free my soul
Everyone is different. We have different ways of processing our thoughts and dreams. These are important things to do on our journey.
​
We want to get in touch with our unconscious and make meaning from these strange things. We want to see the things we were born with and things we've latched onto (or that have latched onto us) that affect our way of being, knowing, seeing.
​
These are somethings I've discovered that have freed my somewhat rigid intellect and word-girl persona. I wonder if you want to give them a try?
Contemplation, Prayer, & Meditation
In order to discern your path in life, you need to talk to yourself. Well, you also need to listen to the still soft voice, which might be the Holy Spirit, or your Self, or another spirit that brings you to wholeness.
​
There are many ways to meditate and engage in contemplative prayer. Depending on your way of being, you may like Centering Prayer, Walking a Labyrinth or in a circle, Lectio Divina, Dancing, Knitting, Painting, Ignatian Examen.
​
There will be an upcoming Blog post and a group class about how contemplative prayer might relate to your learning style and to your Myers-Briggs type. In the mean time: dance, sing, pray, bake. There are lots of resources.
Dreams, Journals, and Morning Pages
Few things are more important to both Jungian psychology and the Haden Institute philosophy than Dream Work. Dreams are a part of many religions, including Abrahamic faiths. Who can forget Joseph and his technicolor dream coat?
Dream work is especially compelling now, since many people have reported deeper and more disturbing dreams during the pandemic.
​
Jeremy Taylor, a dream expert, says that dreams come to us in the service of healing and wholeness. Bad dreams can be a good thing. Something serious that you might be ready to face.
​
Dreams are ours. We can work with them alone, with a counselor or friend, or with a dream group. In any case, "helpers" need to know they are projecting on your dream and only you know if it clicks with you.
​
Dreams are things we ponder in our hearts so that they might lead us to our unconscious.
Many people find that Journaling can help them find their Self, get them in touch with their unconscious. Journaling is a key part of a spiritual journey.
Again, the pandemic has caused some people to journal more, reflecting on their inner life. For others, words have lost meaning in the mush of space and time that is "lock down." I have turned to journaling Mandalas and doodles sometimes.
A resource that comes between journaling and doodling is Morning Pages, especially when used as a part of Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way program. You can try the program with only the book or find a group.