Up: [[Life Writing]] Related: [[Finding Patterns Changes Journaling]]; [[Indexing is Necessary but not Sufficient]] Created: 2023-06-18 Updated: 2026-02-25 In order to create [[Lasair - My Third Act Passion]], I need to figure out how to code my journal entries, dreams, and writing to help me find all of the threads and the patterns and connections between them. This might end up proving to be as simple as using the major themes I have in [[Atlas]], but in this note I am including not only my own ideas, but also how others have thought about life patterns. I’ll have lots to choose from and will likely code with a variety of structures. ### My Ideas #### Themes Using the Poem/Atlas I could use keywords. In [[Pay Attention MOC]] for example, that could include Compass — values, desired feelings, intentions, plans. Or I could use the map heads, although in [[Be Amazed MOC]] those heads are a bit too global. This isn’t feeling right. I think I need one, maybe two things highlighted in a Hearth note (my term for a daily note). I don’t need to be coding everything. #### Shifts - From being numb to my body to Living through my senses, including intuition and interoception - From all-or-nothing (perfection or abandon) to balance - From what is missing and the ways I am lacking to Accepting myself and appreciating my growth and gifts - From always seeking insight and big projects to Giving my attention to the simple pleasures of the everyday world #### Paths The overlapping, interconnected shifts in perspective I’ve been noticing. I’ve been referring to these collectively as Oculi Novi, Latin for “seeing with new eyes.” 1. Ego to Self in journey of individuation (depth psychology); coded as ‘depth’ 2. Negative stereotypes of aging to wise elder ([[Eight Gates of Wisdom - Angeles Arrien]]; coded as ‘gates’ 3. Creativity as skillset available to a few to being in relationship with creativity - i.e. conduit (awakening creativity) Is this accurate or is the shift really from external authority to intuition? 4. Narrow, anxious concerns and having world interpreted for me to wider holistic view (symbolic perception) 5. Life as a series of mostly mundane events to life through mythopoetic lens in the Fool’s journey; coded as ‘tarot’ 6. Life solely of the mind to reuniting with bodily sensations (Embodiment); coded as ‘body’ 7. From disenchantment to re-enchantment (enchantment); coded as ‘sparkles’ ### Ideas from Others #### Life Rivers [[Rivers of Life]] — surprise, challenge, inspiration, love This has the advantage of being both comprehensive and simple. #### Ways of Engaging or Holding Back in Life Alexandra Johnson, author of *Leaving a Trace: On keeping a journal*, suggests looking for incidents in each of ten categories that she believes are ways we engage or hold back in life: longing; fear; mastery; intentional silences; key influences; hidden lessons; secret gifts; challenges; unfinished business, and untapped potential. Johnson suggests posing each life pattern as a question as you go back through journals. For example, “How was conflict a secret gift?” (p. 125) I’ve known of Johnson’s method for years, but have trouble applying it. Too many categories, I think, with too many possible combinations such as the question she offers at the end which combines a challenge and a gift. #### Persistent Memories and Repeated Images Alexandra Johnson tells of one woman who noticed she had several freewrites about her dad and then further noticed that those dad freewrites contained many references to hands. She ended up writing four memories of her father united by hands: when his guided her seven-year-old hands on a fishing trip; slipping money into her hand at college; stroking his hands to ease his arthritis; twining her pinky finger with his as he died. Another option is to take four or more journal entries of the same type such as events, dreams, creative work, or reflections, and look for recurring words or images in that collection. If a thematic link doesn’t come to mind, freewrite on associations you have to the image or word, and connections will start to emerge. I think this idea has merit at the macro level of coding my entire vault *if* there are images or symbols that repeat with enough frequency. At the micro level, I could see it as being particularly helpful when reviewing and connecting freewrites. #### Identify Transition Points In *The Way of Transition,* [[William Bridges]] explains that if you divide your life into chapters based on clusters of years, you are going to find that it’s the transition points between one chapter and the next that are going to tell you how you’ve become the person that you are. The trick is, you don’t have to have written the chapters, a TOC or MOC will do, but you do have to have meaningful names for them. So “First Love,” not “ages 16-18.” Or you could use metaphors such as the Landscape Metaphors below. Once you’ve identified the transition points, use the questions from [[Understand Your Transitions]] for further clarity. Note: For a visual version of this see [[Mapping the Path You Have Followed]]. I think this has a lot of value for notebook themes, but it feels like it would be a force fit to code everything in my vault this way. #### Landscape Metaphors Take each chunk of life and describe it as a landscape. Was there a time period best described as: A clearing in the woods? How about a steep mountain grade? Or a thicket of thorns? — Noelle Oxenhandler, *The Wishing Year*, p.237 #### Book of Revelations [[Angeles Arrien]] suggests this as an action for the [[Gold Gate - Befriend Death]]. Include your favourite memories, turning points, epiphanies, peak experiences, synchronicities, prayers, spiritual practices, significant moments, and important dreams. — Angeles Arrien, *The Second Half of Life,* p.147 This has potential, both as a notebook and perhaps as coding, although if coding it could only be for my personal vault. #### Essential Questions The poet, [[Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer]] says that every poet is trying to answer the question, “What does it mean to be alive?” Physicist Richard [[Feynman’s Dozen Question Prompts]] are famous. I think that if I could frame an essential question, keywords to address that question would be great for coding. However, I’m overwhelmed by the idea of a single question driving my life. I want it to be the perfect question that I am passionate about addressing and that desire pretty much shuts down any hope of success with this approach, at least right now.