Month: January 2019

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St. Brigid of Kildare

Image of St. Brigid from artbyeileen.wordpress.com

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Celtic expressions of Christianity draw me because of their connection to nature and level of participation, which contrasts with the spectator quality of American expressions. Celtic Christianity celebrates some saints, heroes and heroines of faith, including St. Brigid of Kildare, whose feast day is February 1 (and sometimes 2).

Born in 453 and living to be 72 years old, St. Brigid was one of Ireland’s patron saints, along with Patrick and Colombo, and a woman before her time. She was well-respected in both ecclesiastical and civic circles. She was an abbess of a double monastery (meaning they had both men and women) at Kildare, and founder of several other communities.

Brigid was especially concerned about the conditions of the poor, of women and of children. There are even miracles stories associated with her.

Miracle of the Cloak

One of my favorite stories is of her asking the King of Leinster for land to open a convent community. He laughed at what he considered a bold requestfor a ridiculous use of land, so she asked if he would grant her the amount of land her cloak would cover. He amusedly granted her request. After praying, four of her nuns took the corners of her cloak and began to run in the directions of the compass points, the cloak growing with each step they took.

When they passed out of sight, the king exclaimed, “Brigid, what are you about?!”

“You have placed yourself opposed to the true God,” she responded. “My cloak shall cover your entire kingdom; you are being punished for your selfishness.”

He begged her to stop and granted her the plot of land she had requested.

Feast Day Traditions

There are two traditions I enjoy associated with St. Brigid’s Feast Day.

One is the making of St. Brigid Crosses. Legend says that St. Brigid was sharing the gospel with a gentlemen and made the cross from the reeds on the floor while she talked. The crosses came to be signs of blessing for a home.

The other is Blessing Cloths. Women leave cloths or scarves outside on the eve of her feast day to be blessed. The cloths carry a blessing of healing, especially for headaches, but also for the health of a relationship and children.

More about St. Brigid

Learn more about St. Brigid at these links.

Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery in Saint Joseph, MN is associated with the United Methodist Church.

St. Brigid Crosses

St. Brigid of Ireland

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Maintaining Our Equilibrium

Five steps to balance pursuing passion and pursuing peace.


Transparency is important in this journey. We must learn to be transparent with ourselves and with one another. Deluding ourselves and pretending with others helps no one. Today is my day to be transparent with you. So here goes.


This week is kicking my butt.

There, I said it.

This is a busy week. I’ve had commitments out of the house every evening. The days have been full of good work and important tasks, but also of things that require focus, attention, and which can exhaust you mentally. Additionally, we are in the middle of our Purposeful Planning Party on the Pursuing Passionate Peace Facebook group. I’ve been providing some members of that group help outside of the party, and I’ve had coaching client appointments as well.


In the wee hours of yesterday morning, before the alarm went off, I awoke feeling anxious and stressed. My Purposeful Planning Party schedule was taunting me like a schoolyard bully. I had planned to move into Chapter 3 of Purpose Planning last Saturday, and I still had not done so.


And that’s when it hit me! TIME TO PRACTICE WHAT I AM TEACHING.


I am passionate about my work–at my day job, with my coaching clients, with those in my groups, and with all of you who interact with me here through the blog. I am passionate about helping all of you set goals you will keep and keep the goals that you set (Purposeful Planning Party). I am passionate about helping you discover who you are, why you are here, and how you can live that out. Pursuing Passionate Peace is about doing those things you are passionate about.


However, Pursuing Passionate Peace is also about not losing your peace. There’s a balance between the pursuit of passion and the pursuit of peace. Pursuing peace means we are actively going after it and intentionally guarding keeping it. This does not describe me this week. I am out of balance.

Pursuing passionate peace is about doing those things about which you are passionate, but also not losing your peace while you do. Click To Tweet

Developing Wisdom in This Area


Part of developing wisdom is cultivating recognition. We learn to listen to both our bodies and our souls. Growth in the pursuit of passionate peace means realizing quickly when we are out of balance, and taking immediate steps to correct the situation.

Steps to Regaining Equilibrium


So here are the five steps I implemented to correct the situation, and that you can use when you find yourself here.


1. Move forward at a reasonable pace. Just because you’ve made a schedule doesn’t mean you must keep it. Schedules and plans serve us; we do not serve them! They are tools, not task masters. It might be helpful to think of your schedule as a draft. When circumstances require, adjust it.

Schedules and plans serve us; we do not serve them! They are tools, not taskmasters. Click To Tweet


2. Remember rest is important. I am going to get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep will inhibit ability to focus and function. Lowered ability to function further reduces productivity. Sacrificing sleep for accomplishing tasks is not effective. With sleep, I can approach things at my best, with focus and determination.


3. Take time to plan. Each morning, I take five minutes to prioritize my day. The three most important tasks are pushed to the top of the list, but I make sure all the tasks are recorded so they are not forgotten. By doing this, I don’t have to remember all the things which must be done (either now or eventually), but I can commit energy where it is most needed and can be most effective.

Just five minutes to plan the day allows you to commit energy when it is most needed and can be most effective. Click To Tweet


4. Don’t forget to breathe. When I feel anxious, I pause, close my eyes, and breath. Three to five slow deep breaths can work wonders in lowering stress and anxiety in the moment. I usually pair the breathing with a prayer. This week mine I am using: [on the inhale] Come, Holy Spirit, [on the exhale] Lead me in Truth.


5. Debrief when it is over. When the busy-ness is over, I will spend a few moments reflecting on this period of time. Did I over commit? How did I let everything get stacked up like that? What could I have done differently? This is called debriefing, and it is how we learn, and grow, and not make the same mistakes over and over.


Remember:

Your Best is Enough!

No one can expect more from you than your best. If they do, it is THEIR issue and not yours. Stop trying to be THEIR version of you. You will be happier being yours anyway.

People Matter Most!

Too often, we let things become more important than people. Schedules, deadlines, expectations, rules . . . They do not matter more than you, and if you are surrounded by people who think they do, surround yourself with different people! Don’t ever be afraid to change schedules, deadlines, expectations and rules when it is in the best interest of people . . . especially when that person is YOU!

If you are surrounded by people who think schedules, deadlines, expectations and rules matter more than people, surround yourself with different people. Click To Tweet


Go pursue passionate peace today!

#passionatepeace #purposefulplanningparty

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Purposeful Planning Party

We’re having a party, and you’re invited!

This party is taking New Year’s Resolutions to a whole new level!

Did you know that only 8% of people who set a goal will achieve it?

That means 92% abandon the dream without ever achieving it.

While the Washington Post says 40% of American make New Year’s Resolutions, 95% have abandoned them by January 30th.

There are two reasons we abandon our goals:

  1. We make goals we don’t really want to keep.
  2. We don’t know how to keep the goals that we have made.

That’s why I’m sponsoring a Purposeful Planning Party, to share what I’ve learned about setting good goals.

The Party is Over on Facebook

The party is happening in the Pursuing Passionate Peace Facebook group. There will be challenges (with prizes), assistance and encouragement. There will be instructional videos and live question and answer sessions.  

You’ll Want the Workbook

We will be using the Purposeful Planning Party workbook, which you can get for FREE by subscribing to my email list. You can do that here: TammyHicksJackson Email List The workbook will walk you through the entire process, and includes assignments to help you craft your purposeful plan for 2019.

In your welcome email, you will get a link available only to my email list subscribers, where you can download your own copy of the Purposeful Planning Party workbook. It is a pdf file. You can type your answers right into the file, or print it out and use a pen—whichever you prefer.

Don’t Forget Instagram

I will also be posting tips and tidbits on the Instagram page. Follow me there @TammyHicksJackson

So come join the party. Make 2019 the year you reach your goals!