More Ponderings on Contemplative Cleaning
The more I read on decluttering and maximizing my home-office space tips, the more motivated I am to pick up the cleaning up that I started last June. I know it will take a while. I'm talking about three decades of accumulated belongings, and with shame, I have to admit that these belongings attest to the acquisitive person that I had always been.
And so, yesterday I did it again.
I started with just one corner. By mid-day, my whole room was a big mess. Sheets of paper, books, photos, postcards, writing pads, art materials, and all sorts of knickknacks. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by early afternoon as it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. Thankfully, my blue-sky spirit managed to temper my anxious, pessimistic side. With all the stuff that had gone to the recycle and trash corners, how could I not be getting anywhere?
My inner contemplative spoke to me in a rather gentle and kind way. I started with one corner but as I moved around the more areas that needed cleansing and fixing became apparent to me. It was as if by deciding to do this cleaning project, my eyes were opened to areas and things that I needed to pay attention to. Everything is interconnected, and I saw because I opened my eyes. I decided to pay attention and be conscious. Through it all, I knew that my inner Sophia wasn't only calling my attention to my external environment but more so to my inner world. And just to emphasize her point, she led me to a handwritten Paulo Coelho quote that I copied from the web years ago:
Unlike most of the clean-up projects in the past, this isn't anymore so much for or about others or an external demand. This is for me, for my soul.
And so, yesterday I did it again.
I started with just one corner. By mid-day, my whole room was a big mess. Sheets of paper, books, photos, postcards, writing pads, art materials, and all sorts of knickknacks. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by early afternoon as it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. Thankfully, my blue-sky spirit managed to temper my anxious, pessimistic side. With all the stuff that had gone to the recycle and trash corners, how could I not be getting anywhere?
My inner contemplative spoke to me in a rather gentle and kind way. I started with one corner but as I moved around the more areas that needed cleansing and fixing became apparent to me. It was as if by deciding to do this cleaning project, my eyes were opened to areas and things that I needed to pay attention to. Everything is interconnected, and I saw because I opened my eyes. I decided to pay attention and be conscious. Through it all, I knew that my inner Sophia wasn't only calling my attention to my external environment but more so to my inner world. And just to emphasize her point, she led me to a handwritten Paulo Coelho quote that I copied from the web years ago:
"The fact is that when we turn on our inner light, the first thing we see are the cobwebs and the dust, our weak points. They were there already, it's just that you couldn't see them in the darkness. Now it will be much easier for you to clean your soul."I decided that I would approach this cleaning and decluttering project in a be-gentle-to-myself manner. One day at a time, one section at a time. Just as I make a conscious decision to pay attention to the details of my physical environment and internal world, I will also open my eyes to my little successes and celebrate these - no matter how small. Other people may not see the change, but I do and I will celebrate the lightness that I gradually feel in my room and in my inner space.
Unlike most of the clean-up projects in the past, this isn't anymore so much for or about others or an external demand. This is for me, for my soul.
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