It's been a few weeks since I last posted. It's funny how relative time really is. From one standpoint, it seems like a period where nothing much at all happened. From another, it was a time of rapid growth and change. Both are incredibly accurate.During the time away from the blog, I moved. You know, changing residences. There's no better way to see how much stuff (earthly possessions) we have than having to relocate everything.
I have moved plenty of times in the past, but this time it was different. The shift in my perspective allowed me to see how strange it really is to hold on to so much stuff in the first place. It is a perfect illustration of how the ego mind works. Every single thing we own can be considered a thought that our ego identifies with.
I have moved a few times in the past, taking things with me that no longer served me. They were just taking up space. The funny thing is, I kept bringing them from residence to residence until I became aware enough to recognize I was attached to stuff that did not serve me. More than not doing anything for me, it was bogging me down, or causing unnecessary clutter. The same is true for many of the thoughts and concepts that bog us down and clutter our minds. And they can be eliminated in much the same way. By becoming aware that they do not serve us, we can easier dis-identify with outdated and stress causing perspectives.
Here is a classic bit (and hilarious too) on "Stuff," by George Carlin.
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8 comments:
classic! I've purged a lot of my stuff..I'm in a quandry...I want to get rid of stuff but I don't want to throw it in the landfill...I do find places to donate my extra stuff and it's very freeing. I was so nice to buy some much needed t-shirts yesterday and have an empty drawer to put them in..yes..I have empty drawers!
Breeze
Well said! I find that too much attachment to "worldly possessions" can cause a lot of unnecessary suffering - sometimes it's hard, especially since I used to be such a rat pack! :)
Hello C. OM. So good to hear from you again. I can relate so much to what you are saying about stuff. We moved 400 miles about 6 months ago. And man, did we purge, it feels so good. I can always tell I have let go of unnecessary beliefs and attachments when I am getting rid of stuff.
Congratulations on your move and your move! :)
C.Om, the concept of decluttering is very healthy. Some human beings are convinced it is useful to move periodically so you are forced to cull and give away what you are no longer using. People underestimate what they cart around or accumulate. This is an unconscious habit, easire to recognize in other people than in your own patterns. To learn to detach and get rid of it teaches you a way to unburden the soul and rediscover an incredible lightness of being. The density of the physical body and human energy often shifts the focus away from how light you can feel. You can always find the way back to soul essence.
I love this George Carlin bit, he was brilliant!
Yes, stuff is the anchor of the ego. It is amazing how simple we can live when we let go of the need to have stuff to help us with our identity.
Hi C. Om
SO SO good to have you back. I missed your words. And I love that George Carlin comedy bit - love it, and thanks for posting it and the laughter.
Stuff? Stuff you say? :-)
Oh yes, we have stuff - all trinkets, memories, expressions of our love and welcoming home. Ego you say? Huh. For me, us - it is simply what feels loving and inviting and peaceful. SO if that's ego, well, so be it. :-)
Pictures and plants and 'hope-the tree' and aayings and candles and phew, ya, we got stuff. All good stuff.
Again, so good to read your words - I adore you.
Love Gail
peace.....
Greetings C.Om!
Great to see you back! (:-) I looked at this post this am before leaving out. I found it so delightful (the video) & so truthful & enlightening.
It is so true that most of the stuff we have around bogs us down. When we look at very young kids or even animals, they are not attached with "stuff" amd they move freely.
It reminds me of helping to clear an apt. of someone who was at the time 97 years old. It was amazing to go through all the stuff that was accumulated. It was so exhausting going through things that the person no longer could use, or have the space to house it.
It really drove own home - you can't take it with you. Less is definitely best and so freeing for us. Of this perception is seen as we wake up from the illusion!
Great post as usual!
*Breeze
Much appreciated. And I feel you. Empty space can feel so liberating. :-)
*wsfaro
Thank you! And now I know why they say, "Less is more."
*Anne
Thanks Anne!
*Liara
As always, I love the profound insight.
*Mark
Absolutely!
*Gail
Thank you Gail. It's good to be back. I very much appreciate your appreciation. :-)
*bometernally
Thank you!
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