Current mood:	contemplative
Entry tags:	ideas, sophrosyne

Finding Sophrosyne
(this one's friends-locked)

After a week of busy busy busy, I finally took some time yesterday for myself. Some things nox_pinion   said to me the night before were working their way through the back of my mind, and I knew they deserved time and attention.

She reminded me of my name and what it means. I believe names have power, and mine's a *very* powerful name.

Here's what somebody says about it:

 

In classical Greece, sophrosyne (" soh-froh-soo'-neh ") referred to excellence of character and soundness of mind in a well-balanced individual. This complex ideal has no direct translation into English. Its roots suggest a bringing together (syne) of the qualities of wisdom (sophia). It conveys the idea of happiness (in a proper philosophic sense) derived from:

 

• temperance in desires -- "nothing in excess"
  
• self awareness -- "know thyself"
  
• modesty (self confident humility, the opposite of arrogance)
  
• relatedness to the whole of self and society
  
• respect for excellence
  
• respect for human nature, its limits, its balance
  
• self-restrained freedom
  
• obedience to the laws of harmony and proportion
  
• love of truth-beauty-goodness
  
• wisdom (clear discernment based on broad knowledge, including self knowledge)
  
• the qualities giving rise to true charm and charisma ["Charmides"]

My challenge is to live up to my name. I'm more impulsive that I want to admit *at all.* I can be downright reckless sometimes, and I'm most always so focused and driven I can get really badly out of alignment. Like I have the past week.

Nox said she was amazed by my emergent personality.... but as I thought on it, I realized I'd been misaking "strong" for "clear," or fully formed. I've got a *lot* of raw power, I know: Fire is *strong* in me. But I can be lazy and use that power instead of finesse. And for all my strength, as nox reminded me, I'm not three weeks old, and I'm still pretty unformed. Like a baby, but without the bodily-fluid issues! *g*

That struck me at the end of our evening together: nox showed me a different me - not changed, but - she showed me my potential. Poised, mature, elegant. I didn't know there *was* that Soph - I'd only seen the overgrown kid, the big hyper puppy. She showed me the lady.

And I thought, what else could I be that I don't know about? I astonished myself by finding an interest to surf, after reading jesspark 's reviews of Namiko Surf Co. That meant there was more to me than I knew. And if my name at its core is a challenge to "know thyself," well, then, I had some work to do.

So I took the Myers-Briggs Test last night. I came up as a nicely moderate ENFJ - pretty close to the center on each element. The description cracked me up - I should just copy it into my Profile (actually.... that might not be the worst idea!)! 

Then, with the Other Personality's blessing, I went to visit one of OP's household goddesses (and I think where she took me must be a place in SL  - I might go on a quest to find it!), Nyx (who, I discovered this morning, is the mother of Sophrosyne in mythology - and of course, is "Nox" in Latin :) ). She told me a lot of things, which boiled down to, "I love you, I've given you a lot to work with, now get your head out of your butt!" Goddess tough love, sheesh! :)

I'd started with a Tarot reading that was good, but really full of warnings, and that spooked me. This morning I did another one, to see if I'd really *seen* the path I need to follow. "Looks like yes," as the magic 8-ball would say!  I saved the reading - I wish there was some way to copy it into this post, but that looks like more trouble than it's worth. Let's just say, if I keep my sophrosyne, well - I can do a lot of good.

So what does all this mean in action (which, like my type says, is all I care about anyway!)?

I haven't done my taolu since the day I moved in, last Wednesday. Every morning, first thing, without fail, and finished off with sitting meditation. I've gotten my cushion and a little incense burner set up - I just need to use them. Routinely. And I need to step up my practice: I've looked a little bit for a good gong fu animation package - I've got to keep on that. And I've neglected the spiritual side of wudangquan - I've got to put more into the Taoism part. Maybe there are classes/groups in SL?

And I've got to walk the walk. I've been feeling this itch to go wild, and I've *got* to burn it off in gong fu and meditation. And, a little battery-powered friend could help too.... *blushes*  Now that I know what a divine ass-kicking I'm in for if I lose my way.... :P

But there's a reason Namiko Surf Shop made such an impression on me. That's sophrosyne, and I'm in awe. Business, dedication, service, natural harmony - there's an example for me to live up to. Can my artistic visions embody sophrosyne? Can I create something not just beautiful and interesting, but good, as in doing-good good? I don't know - but I have to!

The world's down this morning for maintenance. Yesterday I bitched and whined about that and tried to renegotiate my deal with the OP to get more time, since I couldn't use my time this morning. Now? I'm going to practice a little sophrosyne at home, and give OP back that time for OP to use.

It's not going to be an easy road. All that Fire in me wants to burn out of control. But I've been given more grace than that. It's just up to me to use it.