I belong to a church full of pack rats. Now, most of them are not as much like this at home. But some how they think that they need to keep everything for a rainy day here at church. Or they think, "We may need that macaroni that we used with a craft project back in 1979." And why are we doing this? Becuase we cannot bear to get rid of all this stuff that we stick away in closets.
So, once again I am going against the flow. And I am cleaning out storage closets with a bunch of junk in them. Cardboard that is just sitting around. Old chairs. Books that nobody wants. What's the problem? Well, we are so filled up in these rooms with junk that we have no room for new stuff. And we need room to do new things in these old rooms.
Our community life is like that as well. We do something once and it is a tradition that we can never let go of. And so we have a lot of activities that a few people are invested in and that everyone else feels obligated to be a part of.
And so it got me thinking.
I think a little purging, in a non-eating disorder way, is healthy for all of us now and then. That is part of the idea of fasting biologically. We are able to purge toxins and such out of our body through occasional times of not eating.
We need a little purging of our routine, our habits, our possesions, and sometimes even of our living situation at times. We need to cut loose a lot of the stuff that just takes up space in our lives, but may not be important or healthy to us.
How do we do this?
1. Once in a while we need to evaluate our lives. And ask:
What is life giving? What sucks the life out of me?
Why am I doing the things I do? Is it more out of obligation, addiction, or choice?
What can I eliminate from my life to make more room for NEW LIFE?
2. Most forest fires are not fueled by young vigorous growth. Most are fueled by all the dead wood that is taking up room in the forest. Taking ACTION to clear out the dead areas of our life is important. Ask yourself:
What action can I take to clear out the lifeless clutter in my life?
What steps do I need to take to make room for more important vigorous growth in my life?
Just a couple of things I have been thinking about.
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10 comments:
Nice thoughts. What have you given up lately or as a result of these thoughts?
I do this a couple of times a year. I call it "taking inventory".
Excellent questions, Clint.
As usual.
OK, haven't read it all at this point, but if the books are worth it at all you can donate them to a public or school library. Of course, that might be how you got them in the first place.
I have done this in my life on occasion. I remember hearing a great sermon at Mendy's church around New Year's one time. It was awesome and I was on a rampage (in a good way). It was great! Now, with an end and an unknown beginning merging, it is time to venture forth again.
Excellent, how have you purged lately?
Actually, this is coming from the other side of the process than "lately".
Things I have given up in the last year and a half:
foods:
white bread products
candy bars
daily soda pop
any milk BUT skim
fast food (except Subway)
chips at the house
oven bake burritoes
tv dinners
chicken nuggets in box from store
any non-turkey based sausage
mocha-based coffees
clothes:
whenever I buy some new clothes I require myself to recycle some old clothes
old books:
I found that I have several books that I do not want or need, but was just keeping because it was part of the collection of books that I have. I think I have given between 20-40 books that I could not trade in to ARC or Goodwill.
furniture:
I found that I could do without a dresser so I gave that away. There were some other items as well. I moved from a 3 bedroom house to a 1 bedroom apartment.
digital cable:
About a year and a half ago I gave up digital cable. It was a difficult thing to do, because I love HBO and ESPN NEWS.
Sleep:
I have a sleep disorder, so I was compensating for that and some issues with depression by sleeping for around 10 hours a day.
Things I have made room for:
Regular exercise.
More dedication to caring for my soul.
Dressing nicer.
Blogging to improve writing skills.
well that is a short list....hope it does not sound too much like bragging.
Well done, my fine friar friend.
You may also check bookcrossing.com for your books.
Oh, Clint, I'm so proud of you!!
You're accomplishing a fantastic change. You rock!
cool stuff Sir Friar. I wasn't trying to "call you out" or anything, just curious about how it was being lived out. Good job on the lifestyle changes.
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