It’s interesting how these weeks sometimes pan out. I’ve done this weekly value exploration long enough now to really allow myself to sink into a value from day #1. Of late, I’m finding that while I might have a particular outcome in mind, the value has a life of its own and takes me directions I’d initially not planned to explore. I do end up accomplishing my original goal too, but sometimes in a different way. The exploration goes beyond the initial scope.
‘Decide firmly on a course of action’ is one of the definitions of resolve and my aim was to decide on a course of action for one particular ‘issue’ that’d been nagging for the past several weeks. As it turned out, every day, I faced an interesting conundrum and had to get to a point of resolution. It was like being presented with a bunch of interesting scenarios just so that I could exercise my resolution muscle. I have to admit that I’m pleased with the way I resolved all of them. I noted how I’d sometimes lean in the direction of compassion and empathy and other times take a more hardheaded route to resolution.
As for the experience I’d been mulling over for the last couple of months, I certainly decided on a course of action. I feel like this week helped me to get to a state where, with enough work and time, closure is possible. This week was about gathering the tools and insights I need to be able to close the chapter. I also realised that it’s not going to be a one-and-done thing, which means that I’ll need to keep reinforcing the new thought patterns until it’s become second nature.
Week #34 – Closure
It felt right to pick this value as a natural progression from week #33.
I remember having a conversation with my therapist a few weeks ago about what closure meant. One of the things she said stuck with me: “It could mean that when you think about the experience it no longer brings up strong emotions.”
That struck a chord because closure really does have to do with emotions more than anything else. Her words also reminded me that as human beings, we don’t have a control switch over our thoughts and emotions such that we can switch them off when we no longer want to re-live a past experience. If they are thought patterns we’ve practiced for years, it takes work and time to gradually loosen their grip on our minds and replace them with empowering patterns.
Bearing that in mind, I’d like to explore potential narratives I can come up with for the past experience in question. There are several narratives possible, so I’d like to try them all on for size to decide on the one that gives me the most relief and feels like the right one to reach emotional closure.
I’d also like to practice this value in other ways! In what ways…I’d like to stay open to that. 😉