Another new month! Last month, we explored journaling as a form of reflection. This month, as we enter Adar Aleph and February (a double leap year), let’s explore journaling as a form of self inquiry. Leap years are the way our calendar resets so that we don’t drift too far away from the cycles of the natural world. This month, let’s take a moment to investigate the ways we may have lost our rhythm or feel off-kilter, and how we can return to equilibrium. Whether the changing seasons, personal struggles, or global events are contributing to feelings of unsteadiness, we can utilize self inquiry, journaling, and mindfulness to manage our reactions.
I encourage you to set aside some time to investigate whatever feelings you’re experiencing now, and try to identify patterns of similar feelings in the past. That knowledge of self can help you face the future.
Here’s how this works: below are some writing prompts. Get comfortable with a journal or computer. Set a timer for 15-30 minutes – long enough to get some real ideas out but not so long that it feels daunting. Read the prompts and start responding to whichever ones speak to you. Write without the expectation that your words will be read, so you don’t have to worry about things like spelling and grammar. And when you are done you can put your writing away and pat yourself on the back for having done this work towards better understanding yourself.
- How does change in the usual patterns and routines make me feel? Can you think of times where change has felt positive, negative, or maybe a mix of both?
- When you have felt unstable in the past, what has helped to ground you? This could be anything from spending time in nature to talking with friends to making sure your physical needs are met – like eating and sleeping enough.
- A liminal time refers to a time between, or a time of transition. Are you in the middle of any transitions now? What have liminal times in your past felt like? What is the same or different about right now?
- The Hebrew calendar operates on a yearly cycle that syncs up with the seasons. Are there any holidays that help ground you in a yearly cycle? How does it feel to come back this year to past cycles?
- What are you grateful for today? This month? This year?
Thank you for taking the time to look inside and write along. Have a great leap year!
Jamie