Life In Runes 72215 Weekly - Taiwaz

Even as we enjoy the fruits of a past decision, we are faced with new decisions.

And isn't that the flow of life?

This week Taiwaz is about the cold hard facts.

When facing a situation and deciding what the game plan is, we definitely want to step outside of our emotional comfort zone and be logical, maybe even brutal, with ourselves. A great way to know what we realistically can accomplish is to look into the past. Ask yourself, from this unemotional frame of mind, "did that work last time?" 

When you travel, do you arrive within the time frame your map app quotes? Are you faster? Slower? How long does it take you to actually get out the door? Does your 10 minute project usually take 15 minutes? These are important things to know when scheduling your day.

What about the time of day? Are you more effective at something in the morning than in the evening?

Have you in the past signed up for interesting classes but then had to cancel because your schedule was too full? Save yourself the frustration and don't sign up for the sheep-delicing seminar!

And what about that vacation plan? Do you have too many activities on the day after a 13 hour flight? Or too few?


Taiwaz. It's not even a sacrifice. It's knowing ourselves, inside and out, accepting ourselves, and really touching the core of our truths, so we can plan for the now and for the future. We have the power to make our lives easy.
(video link)

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So, last week was about making decision that will make this week better.

So far, my best decision was to do this week's readings before I went on vacation!

Isn't it amazing how disruptive a vacation can be? Surely there's a better way to handle such a thing, for the relaxing to be truly relaxing, without having to work twice as hard before and behind in order to "take a few days". But, shrug, it is what it is. Whether it's a vacation or a work trip… actually, any project or event can work more smoothly with planning and foresight. Not planning everything to the minute - but having a basic itinerary, some goals, and knowing oneself well enough to be realistic about those plans, and accepting enough to let things go if necessary. 

And oh, the small decisions that have such a big impact. Like deciding not to take my lap top with me when we went to the Adventure Park, and then having two hours where I preferred to sit instead of go on rides. The phone just didn't cut it as a tool for work I wanted to do! Shrug. Another practice moment. 

Yay, practice! Right?

I was going to whine a little about wanting more success moments, but I do remember having some in the past. Triumphant success moments, not so long ago. So I am going to take a deep breath, take another step forward, and practice making more logical, totally based on my needs and my skills, decisions.

It's all really just another way of accepting ourselves, isn't it?

I hope you have a great day!
-Lila

LIR 71515 Weekly - Taiwaz in the Future

prefer video? watch here

There are times when we have to look at a situation, make a decision, with two points of view - the present and the future. Rather like a general looking at a map, or a person looking at a budget; we look at the finite amount of what we have, and decide whether we want to use it now, or save it for the future. We know certain chores need to be done, and we decide to do them now, or later. We procrastinate on our studying, or we don't.

Often in the stress of the moment, we are only focused on how our choices affect the now. But the reading for this week lets us know that next week, we are going to have some results, some consequences, some less or some more.  Next week the other shoe will drop.

If this is regarding a decision you've made in the past, now is a good time to prepare. Shore up your energies, if you expect to have less. Prep for a night of cramming. Conversely, you can sleep well knowing your project is well completed. And if you saved, know that the time you saved for is coming.

If this is regarding a situation you're in now, Taiwaz advices you make the decision based on future happiness. If you love steak, save it for a special day next week. If you really don't want to go somewhere, do it this week so it's happily in the past next week. If next week is jam packed, perhaps you can preprep to save yourself some energy.

Often, we make decisions for our truth and happiness in the moment. That's what we've been practicing. Perhaps we have that skill down pat now; we have a good idea what brings joy and what brings white hot raging frustration. So now we get to expand. And make decisions based on our truths, and the happiness of the future.

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It's an interesting experiment, to try and look ahead into next week. The now is so easy. Perhaps that's why it's time to expand. Because, yes, the next week already has many differences. There are changes coming up… Volunteer training for Hospice; vacations and birthdays, and, if we look REALLY far, Fall. Time passes.

It has been excellent practicing what works. And now, I do think I'm ready to carry it to what WILL work. Like holding a note, or walking a step, or cooking a dish. You start with step one and then, when it's easy, you add it to another step one. Eventually you have a song, a marathon, a meal.

I can do this. Now, what can I do with this?

I hope you have a great week!

-Lila

LIR 5314 - Taiwaz

More sacrifices coming home; more choices made in the past showing their results. 

 Let's celebrate all the choices we've made!

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Why does that seem to be the most difficult part?  Celebrating our choices?

Everytime I look back on my choices I hear the song from Into the Woods; "How do you know what you want 'til you get what you want and you see if you like it?"

You don't.  Or I don't.  Granted, practice and experience eventually tell you what things you like for the moment (Ooo!  Shiney!)  And what things you really like in the long run.

And whatever else I have gained from past (and passed) choices, these last few days, the most important skill is to know there is a difference between making a choice for myself, and making a choice so I'll be finished with the process of choosing.  Sometimes the sacrifice we make is to wait.

The other benefit of making many choices in the past is knowing this other important fact - no choice is permanent.  I can always change my mind.  A second, a minute, a year, a decade later.  Changes, adaptation, a different set of circumstances.  My choices are (I hope) evolving with me.

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LIR 5514 - Wunjo

Fly your "freak flag" high & proudly, so your peeps can find you!

I hope you have a great day!

-Lila

LIR 2814 Taiwaz

Taiwaz is about sacrifice, balancing the needs and desires of now against those of the future.

Someone has made a choice in your favor (either your past self or someone else) & today you feel the results.

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Sacrifice is such a scary word.  And I do get all closed off, possibly even uptight when the word comes up.

But really, what is sacrifice?  Well, okay.  I just looked it up and it has a pretty heavy subtext of giving something up.

Then maybe Taiwaz isn't necessarily about sacrifice, with all that heavy weighty portent.  Because nothing I felt yesterday, or participated in, felt like the end result of "sacrifice (dun dun duuuuun)".

I can see some end results.  Behavior yesterday that was refined because of practice in the past.  Additional fun & prizes yesterday because someone decided to give their game tickets to us some months ago.  Work accomplished today because of practice through the year.  And there are/ were probably a hundred little things which contributed to yesterday as the result of work and choices made in the past.

So, Taiwaz, in any position, need to not be portentous.  As my next blog will state (coming up next on the Meanderings page)  it's all about the little things.


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LIR 2914  HagalazR

The storm is not coming.  But we no longer need trauma to effect a transition.  We breathe, we choose, we change, we grow.

I hope you have a great day!

-Lila