Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all.
-Emily Dickinson

This spring we have been looking at Wood energy, how it is about renewal, new beginnings, vision and how you direct your focus.  Within all this lives the concept of HOPE.  Where there is a future to live into, great things to anticipate and be excited for.  It’s a funny thing about hope.  You sometimes don’t notice it until one day when it disappears.  I believe it’s a fundamental human desire that we wake up in the morning excited about life.  What will happen today?  What great things can I expect?  You see this in children very often.  How they bound out of bed, ready to rally and explore, take on whatever they encounter, merely for the sheer pleasure of exploration.  Where does this go as we get further along in life and time?  Is it because we stop playing, exploring, and anticipating that the best is yet to come that this seems to change?  At what point does life suddenly take on a heaviness or familiarity so that we stop hoping for what can be and instead wake up to “I already know how this will go…” each and every single day?

Wood and Liver energy bring a feeling of newness, much like the feeling of hope.  There is an excitement about what may happen.  Spring is often the season when we find ourselves smiling for no reason and being excited again.  I would also argue it is the season when our hope returns.  In Chinese Medicine depression is said to result when Wood energy is stopped and turned inward instead of outward.  This energy’s natural tendency is to move outward, as in moving physically, or shouting out at another in anger (anger is the associated emotion).  When we repress, or hold back our Wood energy (whether in anger, action, or motion) we stifle its natural outward expression and it redirects its power back onto us.  We may feel heavy, burdened, or just deeply saddened to our core.  In other words- depressed.  Times when it seems there is nothing good in our future, and no hope in sight.  Exercise is said to be a great cure for depression.  In Chinese Medicine this makes perfect sense.  Get the body moving and Wood energy will start moving again.   Not only are all the muscles associated with Wood energy, but also physical action stimulates Wood energy.

I personally experienced this several years ago.  After an event that left me feeling emotionally devastated I experienced a depression.  Suddenly life seemed meaningless and I was sleepwalking through it.  I didn’t feel like myself and nothing could excite me.  Not only did acupuncture for Wood and Liver Energy stagnation produce miracles, but also it was the kick butt dance classes that included intense pushups, sit ups and everything in between that healed me.  I would be huffing and puffing, nose to the studio floor trying to get in one more push up and suddenly I’d feel a tinge of anger.  Anger was an emotion I’d shut off completely during my experience with being hurt and it was killing me energetically.  Other times I’d be doing the umpteenth set of abdominal crunches and I’d feel a smile come across my face.  Hope was returning.

As you are going through your week notice, how present is hope?  How much do you anticipate the future with relish?  If your answer is less than you’d like, try getting your body moving.  Whether it’s a favorite exercise routine, a run, dance or gym class.  Notice what it does to your sense of well being and feeling great.  Reactivation of Wood energy can reignite your hopes and leave you smiling in the process.

Have you ever felt like you didn’t know which way to turn?  In our daily life we are confronted with many decisions- go this way, choose this, don’t choose that, do this, don’t do that.  How do we navigate it all and not end up running in circles?  Or if you’re like me sometimes wonder if you ARE just going round and round.  In Eastern philosophy Gall Bladder energy has a lot to do with decisions and distribution of energy.  Now you may be wondering, what’s my gall bladder got to do with it?  Our gall bladder organ stores and secretes bile, essential for breaking down fats, and having to do with how nutrients get distributed.  Hence, Gall Bladder energy has to do with energy distribution.  So the question becomes, where are you channeling your energy?  Are you single focused in tasks, or are you multidirectional, moving from here to there?  How easily and efficiently can you shift focus to stay on course, in day to day activities, planning or even the bigger picture of life?

The notion of multitasking seems quite a priority in our modern society.  There is an expectation there is much to be done and we “should” be able to do it all.  Research suggests, however that having too much of a multiple focus may actually decrease productivity substantially.  It may seem you are accomplishing more by virtue of moving back and forth between tasks and intentions, but is this just an illusion?  Think of the analogy of driving.  How efficient is it if you want to get somewhere and instead of driving directly to that destination, you remember other errands and go out of your way many times to “get those things done”, never actually getting to the original end of your journey?  Think of the time, effort and amount of gas in your tank that is expended on all this.  This might seem pretty obvious in the comparison; yet think of how much we put off getting where we want to go when we make all those metaphorical extra stops out of our way.  You might want to ask yourself WHY?  What is it that prevents us from just focusing on the task at hand and completing it?

Now, before I go any further, I want to note we do not function in a vacuum.  Our lives ARE multidimensional and seemingly more complex with more to manage these days.  It’s not that I am suggesting that multitasking is bad.  Sometimes we do need to shift gears so that all the parts are taken care of.  What I am suggesting is the impact of this when it is taken to an extreme.  That extreme tends to be more and more in our world.

When I posed the question to myself about not focusing on the task at hand some interesting things came up.  I noticed I like the sense of accomplishment (“look at how much I can do!”) that goes with juggling so many projects.  On the flip side though was a reality that very often I was missing the mark.  Not focusing on the one thing at hand, I was often not reaching the intended goal and had a good justification for it.  “Of course I didn’t complete on that.  Do you know how many things I’m juggling?!”  The price of that was two fold- 1: not knowing myself as someone who could reliably deliver on completing the bigger tasks.  The ones that seemed more challenging and would take the most effort, seem daunting or confronting to my capacities in some way.  And 2: having my energy so scattered all over the place it left me feeling tapped out and constantly moving from thing to thing without any real sense of satisfaction.  So what can do you do today to notice to what extreme your Gall Bladder energy and focus are being distributed in your life?   Ask yourself what is one thing that you in your heart are committed to and notice how present it is in your daily actions.  Write it down.  Then write down all the other stuff that takes you away from it.  See what happens when you compare the two columns.  How aligned or not aligned are you with what is the most essential to you?  How can you distribute your energy more effectively to stay on course with that which you say is the priority?

The word Power is a very loaded term.  Webster’s dictionary defines it as “the ability to act or produce an effect.”  In Chinese Medicine the Wood element and Liver energy have a lot to do with actions and producing results- in other words they govern much of what we would consider within the realm of Power.  In previous articles we have looked at the Liver organ and energy; how they are both considered Masters that manage many functions and keep everything orchestrated.  The body tissue associated with the Wood element is, not surprisingly, the muscles, tendons and ligaments.  These are the part of our anatomy directly responsible for our ability to move our bodies, and also a source of physical strength.  How flexible, strong and supple our muscles feel can be a direct reflection of the condition of our Wood energy.  Conversely, muscular tension, cramping and spasms are also an indication that we are bound up and therefore the energy is as well.  Ideally when we are in action our energy flows and moves easily.

Think for a moment about driving a car on a clear highway… smooth sailing with the top down, free and easy with your foot on the accelerator.  You know where you are headed, how to get there and the trip just moves along at a fast pace.  There is a feeling of competency, action and moving forward.  But what happens when you encounter some obstacles?  A traffic jam with so many cars as far as the eye can see that  no one seems to be moving at all, and suddenly you are stuck…  frustration, anger.  You experience a loss in power.  The thwarting of any intention causes agitation and drives the Wood element crazy.  In situations like this we may lash out (anger is the associated emotion for this energy), tense up, and may even need to move physically to let off steam.   Have you ever been stopped in traffic so long that people start getting out of their cars just so they can do SOMETHING instead of sitting immobile?  I remember someone in my family who literally could not stand still when they were in heated conversations.  They would pace back and forth to release that energy when intense words were being exchanged.

Without a release, our muscles tense from all the bound energy.  Sometimes we may need to let off that steam by reacting emotionally instead of physically.  Rage is a common expression when the frustration and anger sit too long then come to the surface all at once.

What can be done to healthily channel all the power that is in the potential of Wood energy?
Here are 3 tips to keep your Wood energy in harmony and restore your Power:

1. Identify what is important to you – Easier said than done sometimes.  We all have goals, dreams, wants and desires that keep us motivated and moving forward.  How much you are in or out of alignment with what YOU (inside you, not anyone else) want can have a lot to do with how inspired, goal focused and satisfied you feel in your perceived ability to fulfill on them.    The more competent and aligned you feel with what you want to more powerful you will feel.   Take 5 minutes to get quiet, clear your mind and check in.  This can be done in many forms- through meditation, journaling, writing it out, taking a quiet walk, or a hot bath for example.
2. Keep what is important a priority – Again, sometimes easier said than done with all the distractions in our lives.  What action steps are needed to bring what you want into reality?  Start by writing down two actions and then put them in your schedule.  It will add existence to your milestones and give you a boost when you fulfill on them.  It will also help when the “drift of life” takes over and you get sidetracked by the myriad of others things to be done.
3. Learn to say NO – Saying NO sometimes gets a bad rap.  Perhaps this is in part because it can be likened to the image of a defiant toddler in the “terrible twos” asserting their will by defiantly saying “No!” to everything.  As trying a stage this can be for even the most patient of parents, asserting one’s boundaries and learning to say no is a healthy and essential part of every child’s development.  Learning to recognize one’s own wants vs anothers and establishing healthy boundaries can be an important step in integrating one’s own sense of personal power.  The trick is clear communication.  Saying no doesn’t always have to be about defiance.  What if it can be about honoring and expressing your own true needs to another?  That other person is not you.  How can you expect others to know what you do and don’t want if you don’t tell them?  The next time someone asks or makes a request of you that simply doesn’t work for you, isn’t aligned with what you value or want, talk with them.  Dialogue around WHY you are saying no and see what opens up for you, your power and staying aligned with what matters to you.

Have you noticed how busy life seems?  With the myriad of things calling for our attention it may seem like we are constantly moving from one thing to another with no end in sight.  I notice for myself that I can be in a perpetual state of doing around my desk and suddenly an entire morning is gone.  I am left wondering where did the time go and what have I done, REALLY?  Welcome to the world of distractions…. email, the internet, social media, phone calls, appointments, this task, that to do list, and on and on and on… In some cases we might call it multi-tasking.  In a recent study by the American Psychological Association, multitasking was repeatedly found to actually lower productivity, and in some case, by as much as 40 percent!

So what can you do to begin narrowing your focus and getting to your goals more productively?  In last week’s article we looked at the Liver, how it is considered a master organ responsible for some 300 functions in the body.  It operates like a manager, keeping all the organ systems running efficiently.  The energy and element associated with the Liver organ is Liver Energy and the Wood element.  Liver energy is a lot like the organ in terms of function- it is an organizing, mobilizing force.  This energy, like a good manager, knows how to direct things.  It is a master planner so one of the things it governs is your VISION.  What is the goal, end result or want for the future that is your big picture? 

Ask yourself, what is a vision you have for yourself and then some of the actions in how to achieve it?  Simple right?  Now what happens when you sit down to start at those tasks at hand?  Now here’s where things get interesting… How quickly do you start that first action step you know to take, then BAM!  A thought pops up about how you need to take care of this other thing…. Or let’s say you get through the first task then well…. I should really take a look at this other thing that has been sitting I need to do.  Or a new request comes in via email or phone and you are off to take care of that because it’s taken your attention.  And a few minutes, hours or days later what has happened to that idea, vision and plan you first started?   Sound familiar?  For most of us, the resounding answer is probably YES.  And don’t feel bad about it.  There is a reason Olympic athletes with a vision of winning the gold have a coach.  They have accountability outside themselves- through other people, planned training schedules and reminders the goal takes priority NO MATTER WHAT.  Now, you certainly don’t have to be a world class athlete in training to actualize your vision.  What you can do is use some of those tools to keep you and your Liver Energy on track.

1. Clear a space for vision.  It’s very easy to be distracted when you are surrounded by piles of papers, unanswered emails, old notes and the like.  Clear the clutter, at least some of it.  Even if you don’t go through absolutely everything, take a few minutes to complete, toss and clear away some of the debris.  Much like the Liver organ which becomes less efficient even though its working very hard as more toxins in the body build up, an environmental cleanse clears the space for new things and maximum operating power.
2. Write down WHAT your goal, vision or idea is- whether a sentence, paragraph or manifesto.  What matters is that it captures the vision and (important!) the feeling of inspiration you feel about WHY you have this vision (one way to be almost certain you won’t fulfill on a vision- don’t be excited about it.  Lack of emotional investment is a killer of ambition).  Put it somewhere in your workspace, like by your computer, on your wall, somewhere you can see and be reminded regularly.  Without a reminder the distractions will take over and the memory will eventually disappear.
3. Put some tiny, baby step milestone actions in your planner or schedule.  We are all busy.  That is a given.  Here’s the deal about that.  Most of us will always find a reason or something else rather than the step that moves the goal forward.  That is human nature.  There is nothing wrong with being human.  Having a vision and moving consistently on it takes something.  We all have tremendous vision and capacities.  Scheduling (and rescheduling if you don’t always do it when you mean to) is a way to manage those capacities.
4. Reward and acknowledge yourself for taking action.  When you complete one of your actions, do something to treat yourself.  Buy yourself a special coffee you love, get yourself some flowers, make a sign that says I DID IT! and post it- anything that acknowledges you for what you have accomplished.  Doing this makes the journey rewarding.  Plus it prevents you from losing sight of the small victories instead of feeling you just have to keep going and going forever.  Remember the bigger the goal, the more baby steps to get there.  Think of how many steps it probably took to climb Mt. Everest.