During the month of December, i am participating in the 27 days of change offered by the Center for Transformative Change. I have no idea what i am getting myself into and am hoping that this program actually gives me some support for implementing the changes i long for. To support my commitment to the agreement, i decided to post my intentions here. You will see that they pick up some of the themes i’ve been musing about here lately.

Perfecting Perfection: Practice Period Intention Agreement
Winter 2012 | December 4th – 30th

Giving: Selfless Service
I will deepen my engagement with the community and the world through the cultivation of selfless service. My letting go practice is to give 4 hours per week to help end violence against women. To start this service, I sent in my volunteer application on December 5, 2012 to La Casa de las Madres.

Ethics: Reducing Harm
I will bring my life into greater alignment with my purpose and values through the cultivation of self- responsibility and integrity. My harm reduction practice is to bring needed attention to this one of the Five Warrior Trainings – non-attachment – and to reduce my footprint on the earth by not buying anything material other than food or drink for this practice period.

Patience: Reclaiming Relationship (Domino virtue)
I will strengthen my mind and heart to find creative responses to life’s challenges through the cultivation of spaciousness and curiosity. My equanimity practice is to re-examine the following difficult relationship or situation and find greater balance: My relationship to myself and my path. To practice, I want to let go of my attachment to the opinions – real or imagined – of others. To support this practice, I will do a daily grounding visualization and journal half a page on my observations about the influence of others’ opinions.

Effort: Choosing Life Every Day
I will shift the way I show up through the cultivation of consistency and sustained intention. My fearlessness practice is to change the following behavior by applying myself daily to not distracting myself with Facebook. To support this practice, I will stay off Facebook for this 27-day period.

Meditation: Sitting & Sadhana
I will develop mental stability and self-awareness through the cultivation of sustained attention. My dynamic stillness practice is to increase my sitting meditation by 5 minutes to 40 minutes per day including practicing with the Mission Dharma sangha on Tuesdays @ 7:30 PM.

Wisdom: Waking Up
I will root each and every thought, word and action of these perfect intentions in transcendent understanding through the cultivation of deep insight. My skillfulness practice is to dissolve all ideas of who is doing practice, who practice is done for and practice that is done.

Personal Challenge
My own intention for this Practice Period is to strengthen my physical support practices by doing something physically active every day, practicing at least 5 minutes of yoga every day, and attending at least one goddess belly dance class per week.

As adjusted December 8 & 19, 2012