Today you will need a kitchen timer or stop watch.
Day Five — 2012 Great Release Challenge! by Silver RavenWolf copyright 2012
Five is the number of change. Today, we’re going to work when several fun exercises. Making change with the focus on pleasure is much easier.
Fast and Furious!
Our first set of exercises concentrates on speed. How much can you get done in a limited amount of time? What can you accomplish in minutes? In 5 minutes? 15? Let’s try!
First Challenge: You have exactly three minutes to pick up, clean, arrange or toss. Use a stop watch if you like. Yes, right now. This second. On your mark…get set…go!
Whew! My tongue is hanging out! Let’s see… I didn’t stray far from the computer. My craft table was a mess. I managed to put the rulers back in their place, pens and pencils in the pencil cup, scissors in the scissors box, sandpaper and woodcutting tool back in their box, throw out a piece of trash, and stack a few papers. For a moment or two I just stood there wondering what to do first!
Second Challenge: You have exactly five minutes to pick up, clean, arrange or toss. I’m going to use the kitchen timer for this one. On your mark…get set…go!
Sigh! Wow, that five minutes really went fast! I dusted the man-cave (no after 30 plus years of marriage my husband does not dust — I think he has special vision filters on his eyeballs that don’t allow dust to be seen). Plus, I found the knob to one of my cabinets in that room and glued it back in place.
Third Challenge: You have exactly fifteen minutes to pick up, clean, arrange or toss. Here we go! Wait, I lost the darned timer. Okay, okay. Now…Go!
Grrrr! I spent a good three minutes thinking about what I could do in fifteen. Since I still had the duster I made a fast sweep through the living room, then raced to the bedroom. What the hell is all over the window sill? I just cleaned that!!! Splattered bug guts? Yuck. Someone must have left that window open. Why? Its winter! Wait, yesterday was a nice day…maybe a contractor did it. Oh, who the hell cares! Why am I wasting my time on who! Quick. The Mr. Clean sponge. Ta-da! Okay…okay, duster now filthy. Throw away, reload so it is ready for the next time. Off to the kitchen. What, what, what can I do? Ouuu. Yeah. The dog mat where the food and water dish are. One of my dogs faithfully beats up the food bowl, which hits the water bowl, which creates a yucky mess on the mat…every day. Argh. Clean that and write down in my notebook that I need a better solution so I don’t have to do this every day. No, getting rid of the dog is not an option. Oz is just like his name implies — a loveable space cadet. Perhaps I can figure out why he is doing this, and find a way to keep the area cleaner. Finally, I’ve been looking at this strange, errant thread sticking up on the edge of the foyer carpet. I kept thinking to myself, I have to cut that, and then I totally forget. So! Dash for the scissors (yeah, I know, no running with sharp objects) and cut off that darned thread! Time’s up!
Children love the three and five minute challenges — adults, too! Have a reward ready, even if they pick up only one piece of paper, or find one shoe. By timing them, and rewarding them, they will be more eager to help keep the living space clean and energized. Another added benefit is that you will help to teach them to think fast on their feet. And, may I add, that rewards work exceptionally well on adults, too. Just remember, it doesn’t count if they shove something where it doesn’t belong, like under the bed or behind the sofa!
A Place for Everything And Everything In Its Place
Now that you’ve gone through the speed challenges, consider where you might move things to make it easier next time. For example, I have all kinds of glue on a specific shelf in a cabinet. That way, whenever I need glue, I know where to find it. Preparing cleaning supplies and toolss for the “next time” is also helpful. Change or wash the mop head after you use it. Load the duster, or empty the vacuum or dust buster as soon as you are finished. Keep supplies together. The floor cleaner right by the mop. Spare bags for the vacuum (if it uses them) in the same closet you keep the vacuum, etc.
Nighttime Sweep
Every night, before you go to bed, take five or ten minutes to do your nighttime sweep. This is where you pick up items that managed to hop out of their places while you weren’t looking. I always put away any craft project I’m working on rather than leave it on the dining room table (yes, I know I have a craft room; but, at night I like to relax and work on pleasurable items while watching television or a DVD). Empty the sink of dirty dishes, spray down the counters…whatever fits your family lifestyle. I know some of you think that it is just my husband and myself now that my four children are adults. Um…no. My house is just as active, sometimes more active now that they are grown. Many times my adult children eat dinner here, I have grandchildren so they do what kids do no matter where they are. I am still a bus. I run my granddaughter to Karate class twice a week and so forth. I also have two dogs, enough said on that. I also actively entertain with a bi-weekly healing circle, a bi-weekly crochet night, and several parties throughout the year. It can get hectic! (and messy).
Spiritual Challenge
Now that we’ve done a physical speed challenge. Let’s do a Spiritual Speed Challenge! Oh yeah!
If you are into folk magick, Hoodoo, or Braucherei (Pow-Wow) there are quite a few things you can do in three minutes or less.
Three Minute Spiritual Challenge: Okay, here we go. Three minutes is all you’ve got! Now!
Yikes, okay, okay…run to the bedroom. Whip off my shirt. Turn it inside out. Chant “Evil Be Gone Braucherei Charm” and pinch my shirt in a dresser drawer…hard! Run and get a new shirt. Purple, for spirituality. What next? Look right, look left…wash my hands with Frankincense and Myrrh soap, wash my face, too. Leave my hands under running water and visualize all the negativity pouring out of my body and down the drain. Ouu, ouu. I’ve got a minute left. Write what I want to banish from my life on toilet paper and flush it down the commode. Yeah! Pen! Where’s a pen? There! Okay! Rip. Argh. Got it. Writing…seconds left…writing… down the hole and hit the flush!
Done!
If you sat in place and meditated or chanted that’s okay, but…trust me…moving is a lot more fun.
Five Minute Spiritual Challenge. On your mark, get set…go! A friend of mine had surgery today. Shoot, I don’t have any green or gold candles, white will have to do. Inscribe her name on the candle with a stylus, rub with a healing magickal oil, chant a healing pow-wow charm. Which one? Okay, she had surgery! I’ll use the 2450 Healing Charm, called that because it is approximately 2,450 years old. Begin by saying the individual’s name who needs the healing three times aloud.
2450 Healing Charm
The Lord of Five Points Rode to Four Corners While the Circle of She Declares What Will Be!
Marrow to Marrow Bone to Bone Joint to Joint Sinew to Sinew Blood to Blood Vein to Vein Hair to Hair Limb to Limb Flesh to Flesh The Power of One Will be enmeshed!
Light candle. Say the charm 3 times (9 if you have more time). Done!
Consider turning your BOS into a colorful scrapbook.
Fifteen Minute Spiritual Challenge: You have fifteen minutes to do something spiritual. I’m going to tell you about how I let go of something with honor. Years ago, I used to make Halloween costumes for all my children. Over time, I gave away most of the costumes; but, there was one that was simply too beat to give away. Yet I hated to part with it. I made it for my oldest son, who is now married and in the military. Every year I would look at the costume as I dug out the Halloween decorations. I realized that no one would ever wear it again, yet, year after year, I put in that Halloween costume back in the tub with a tear (okay, many) in my eye. In the last days of our move of house this fall my daughter went up to the attic and started bringing down boxes for me to go through. And, of course, we hit the Halloween boxes (okay, the twelve Halloween boxes…ahem). The goal was to pare it down to one box.
Yes, the costume. Of course it was there.
I took a big breath, and sat down. I held the costume close to my heart and I said, “I honor the time I spent stitching this fabric. I honor the smile on my son’s face when it was completed. I honor the time that he wore it. The memory will always be with me. I release this physical item, yet I hold the love we shared, and share today always in my heart.”
I cried on it.
And then I let it go.
Your Mission Today
If you did the speed clean challenge — you’re done!
For the Truly Dedicated Challenge Participant: Try the speed clean exercise more than once, or practice the spiritual challenge!
For Tomorrow: Something from your wish list.
Summary:
1. Do Your Morning Braucherei Ritual and light your goal candle. 2. Continue to Work with the Sea of Potential Affirmation. 3. Practice the Speed Clean exercises. 4. Give yourself one gold star if you did all the exercises. Two gold stars if you did it more than once, or did the Spiritual Challenges. Three gold stars if you managed to catch up and do something you missed from the day before. Four gold stars if you completed something on your Wish List . Remember, for every seven gold stars you earn, you get to treat yourself with something special! 5. Get ready for tomorrow!!
Peace with the Gods Peace with Nature Peace Within.
So be it.
Silver
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Braucherei Morning Ritual – Excellent for Use in the Great Release Program 2012 (silverravenwolf.wordpress.com)