My family and I are smack dab in the middle of packing for an exciting move to somewhere I have always wanted to live. In the process of this powerful transition (moving is one of the top life stressors I am told), I realize there are a hundred different lessons being offered on any given day. One lesson we’ve been discussing currently at Conscious and Carefree is “enjoying the process.” Buddhism comes to mind, with the practice of letting go. When you put everything in your life under a microscope and examine it, it’s a good time to ask yourself, what am I holding onto? The theme came to me upon packing or giving away each and every thing I own, possessions I held near and dear, objects I have assigned meaning, or papers I’ve kept; because I think I will need them someday. Moving is a grand opportunity to cleanse once more, an invitation to examine that which we are holding onto.
Clearing space
I’m not just referring to objects or possessions, of course. I’m talking about all the stuff in life that we hold onto. During this process of observation, I was flooded with thoughts and feelings that cover the gamut of life. I experienced moments of thrill to desperation, writing songs about minutia, and everything in-between. I could not stop thinking about the things we hold onto: fear, undesirable circumstances, outdated behavior, defeating thoughts, and old stories we keep telling…yuck, why would anyone want to hold onto that stuff?
Releasing that which no longer serves us
Holding onto things out of habit is not a good enough excuse anymore. How do we expect to up-level, move forward, or expand if we are holding on tightly to that which no longer serves us? We have places to go and people to see. The old will get you what you have always gotten, the new is the next-level. The new is the horizon, the new is the person you have always aspired to be. Plain and simple, living your dream life will come from attempting things you have not done before. Releasing that which no longer serves us is a conscious effort. The question is, are you up for the task?
It’s not that we never fall down, it’s how quickly we get up
Christopher Reeve, best known as Superman, used to share a powerful story about how he spent all of his days feeling miserable for himself after he was paralyzed in an accident. He would dream all night about running and jumping his horse, then wake up to the fact that he was physically paralyzed. His kids would come in his room each day at 8 am and jump on his bed. He barely gave them his attention because he was so deep in sorrow. After this went on for over a year, Superman made an agreement with himself. He gave himself a time limit. He was allowed to feel sorry for himself from the time he woke up until his kids burst in at 8 am. After the kids came in, he would release his apathy, be present, and live his life as fully as possible. This was a game changer for him, a compassionate time limit allowed himself to once again enjoy his life.
What is our need for attachment, anyway?
What are we holding onto and better yet, why? We are the only ones that know. As humans, we assign meaning to things. I think it’s important for us to observe and study the things we have surrounded ourselves with and ask ourselves how or if these things provide us value, today. In her book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo states if you do not absolutely love something, release it. I want to love everything around me, not merely tolerate it because it has always been there. My willingness to release something is made easier by reminding myself it brings joy to someone else.
Tabula Rasa
Think of your mind as a blank slate. It is the source of creation and creativity itself. Without a blank tablet, we remain what and who we have been, and as nice as we were, it is not a destination. I realize when I release something from the past, when I release the energy I labeled it with, I am making space for the new. If every space is filled, there is no space for something better to come in. Tabula rasa can be a conscious practice of clearing the slate to allow new ideas, inspiration, and wisdom to pour in. Without it, how can we evolve?
New times call for new measures
Circumstances and our environment are shaping us. We are not who we were five years ago, five months ago, or even last week. We are constantly changing. What served us before may or may not serve us now. We must inquire. Allow treading mindfully to be our goal. Our next level will require new depths, new thinking, new speaking, and new action. Holding onto old stuff will not get us where we want to go. I invite you to join me in moving forward, clearing out what no longer serves you, and suddenly finding yourself in a place you have always wanted to be.
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