Inspiration Everywhere

Russ and I have been living together for about a year and half now. I thought when I moved in that I had streamlined my existence pretty well, fitting everything I owned into a U-haul van. Some things are in storage, but most of my worldly possessions are here in our little cottage, nestled snugly against my husband’s stuff.

Cute, yes.  Kinda cluttered? That, too.

It feels like a struggle sometimes to keep the house clean, but I do my best.  Or at least, I thought I was doing my best until I learned more about clutter.   As part of my coursework (I’m learning Peruvian energy medicine), I was assigned the task of clearing clutter from my house.  It’s practice for what I’ll do for other people in my healing work, but like all such practice, it’s really healing for me.   Ordinarily, clearing out some space would be a chore reserved for the annual trip to Goodwill or somesuch, usually in combination with switching out the winter clothes or doing some tedious spring cleaning. This time, I’m approaching it with a more scientific mind, curious about how I’ll feel about the process.

I decided to work with mental clutter, too, to get through those pesky little errands on my to-do list.   It’s so easy to procrastinate on the things that don’t affect anyone but me.  And then, I thought about that for a minute and asked myself, don’t I deserve to stop being affected by them?   So I polished my silver jewelry, finally made it to the DMV and the Asian market, and downloaded those last few cds.  Check, check, check, and check.  Aahhh.

As for the physical clutter, I’ve gotten halfway through our house, looking at every object and asking two questions: do I use it? and do I love it?   If neither answer is yes, the object gets a kiss goodbye (and a “don’t let the door hit ya on the way out”). Suffice it to say, even doing half the house already feels amazing. It’s a process not only of minimizing what I have to keep tidy, but of releasing what doesn’t work for me anymore.

Take for example the medicine cabinet. I used to have a minor but chronic health issue, and even though I haven’t had any pain in many months, I still had the medication on hand, “just in case.”  It had long ago expired (and was therefore useless), and it carried with it the memory of a very different lifestyle and body-consciousness.  I don’t need to tell you how good it felt to dump those pills. That discomfort will not be an issue for me anymore, and I’ve got the cabinet space to prove it!

I packed more than boxes into that U-haul last year. And now, I get to finish unpacking in a way that makes me feel even more at home in my new life. I’m ready to let so much go, and I’m grateful for the “homework” that helped me realize it. I’m even excited for spring cleaning. Vernal equinox, you won’t know what hit you!