Whew 😳. Monday, January 4, 2021. The first week of 2021 started, and I feel rushed as if I was chased by Pharaoh’s soldiers when Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt. How is your first week of 2021 going, G? I hope your day is not as scurried as mine.
I have thought about my letters to you and Joe as I prepared for this new year of Ox. I decided to keep writing to you this year until I feel more settled and secured in our relationship. I wish I knew more about your story, for the relationship needs to be mutually inclusive and exclusive at the same time. Hence, it is not possible; I will write with the hope that you would learn any informative pieces that you could use to find your way back home.
Home: A place of decision making
When I said “home,” I meant several of them. Today, I prefer it as a place of decision making. As I have prepared for 2021, a new year of starting my business at my home office, I have a list of decisions to make. A partial reason for my rushed feelings is stemmed from multiple choices to make that could potentially change my course of life. It is similar to your decision to return to Texas when I was not even sure how you find the means to do so. How is your capacity to make a decision, G?
Decision Model & Fear
In Western psychology, decision making is often depicted as models and maps. SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) is one of them. Decision making closely relates to our well-being. The linear way of thinking about decision making was what I learned in previous years. Then, its trend shifted toward more process-based and non-linear models. Regardless of the model is a linear or complicated process, fear-driven decision making often lead to unfavorable results. Dear G, no matter what decision you need to make, you need to know your fear sources. I wish I could help you and myself. What are my sources of fear this morning that drives me to feel hasty?
Gallbladder and decisiveness
In Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the gall bladder is related to one’s indecisiveness. Decision making has to be harmonized by multiple organs. I would address each organ and its functions, so you would know more about how our understanding of the human mind, body, and soul differ in two different yet tightly related fields of healing practices. You see this new trend, adding the roles of somatic responses in numerous western psychology models.
In TCM, the gall bladder is a Yang part of the organ (Fu organ), tied to its Ying counterpart, the Liver. The Liver is a central place for moving the Qi and stores the blood. Somehow, my traumatic summer in 2020 impacted my ability to feel and manage the fear that ultimately interrupted my flow of the Qi and the blood. In return, I have a hard time making decisions at times. I often think of the Yang element, Liver, but I need to pay attention to the Yin organ, the gall bladder, that mutually interacts with Liver.
My learning point for you this morning is that we need to pay attention to seemingly trivial and insignificant elements in our lives. It could be making a simple phone call to my friend and a co-worker who needs encouragement. It could be taking a sip of tea and coffee while thanking the farmers and grocery workers. What’s on your list for the first week of 2021, G? I hope you would share some of your time with those who need you. You are like my Liver that complimented my weak gall bladder. I know what I need to do this week. Thank you for being with me this morning.
In gratitude,
C.S. Taylor
Mending Hearts Academy 