What have you got to lose?

 I find myself wanting to make sense of things less and less. I find myself wanting to feel and laugh and experience sensation more and more. It’s as if all the words, all the concepts and ideas that explain the meaning of life, of our existence, of relationship dynamics, all keep coming back to one principle, and it’s not the kind of principle that you need to talk about. Flow, love, joy, freedom, are all states of being but a breath away. No conversation needed. And if I commit to that kind of grace in every moment, life has ever so much more swing.

So what gets in the way?  Well…the past! Stuff, memories, things… all the material and associated energies that we hold onto make it difficult for a fresh new breeze to blow into our worlds. Anais Nin, a woman who truly knew how to live freely said it best when reflecting on her life she said, “Anything I cannot transform into something marvelous, I let go. This weekend I let go! Again!

Sixteen full hours of making space and release.  I admit it was grueling hard work in a hot storage room and throwing out past memories from Christmas decorations to childhood furniture wasn’t always easy, but oh what a feeling today. It was an exercise in self awareness to see which buried treasure, which story from my past still tugged at my heart strings. Letters from my ex lover proclaiming his undying love…yup, still a hook but I was fearless and took no prisoners, a bit like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland except instead of shouting off with his head, I would breathe and mumble out. Out it goes.  

I am so grateful for my for my friend T who led the charge.  As we sweated and ploughed through the years of accumulation we also laughed and celebrated. Tough work and a dreaded task became fun as we tried to find ribbons from Christmas to tie up our hair so it would be out of the way. We looked like an insane version of Lucy and Ethel with silver sparkle glitter from the craft box somehow making it all over our bodies. Then it would all morph into a Three Stooges episode and unfortunately I was the one who got wacked. A heavy wooden board that I was using to prop open the metal door decided to land on my face, another to my toe and then T smacks the granny cart just emptied of magazines (I am sure some dated back to 2003) on the same foot.

 Bruised and battered but deeply satisfied we ended the day with supper around 11pm. We hadn’t stopped all day and now enjoyed the freshest food possible. T’s version of raw Pad Thai with ingredients we purchased from the Farmers Market earlier in the morning was delightful.

 I know I have written about de- cluttering before but honestly this is becoming my newest joy, my deepest meditation. Create space,  be willing to let go and not know or control and the universe will answer with a surprise.

 I still have my bedroom to clear out and am hoping the surprise the universe has in store will have two legs and a baritone. Bows and wrapping are not necessary; after all I am getting rid of all that stuff.

Branded by simplicity,

Authentically Yours,

Marty