Unidentified Household Objects

[JenellYB]

I've heard it observed that everyone should have to move at least every five years, forcing them to deal with their accumulated clutter before it becomes an overwhelming task. Presently trying to tackle the accumulated clutter of having now lived in this home for 16 yrs, I'm seeing the wisdom of that idea. I pull stuff out of drawer, closets, the attic, the storage sheds....and wonder, what the heck is this thing, what's it for, what does itdo? why do I have it? and do I dare throw it away?

 

I often find that the physical tasks we set ourselves to seem to stimulate thinking toward some strikingly similar mental and spiritual tasks as we work. This one is no exception.

 

Yesterday, I came to a rather depth level recognition and new insight into my own nature and the nature of the source of areas of conflict in my relationships with others. It is not a new revelation to me that anytime something like that happens, the inevitable consequences is going to be a whole lot of mental and emotional level shifting within my beliefs system and perspectives. Each of us builds our personal beleifs system in an heirarchal fashion, including things we would likely call "knowledge" rather than beliefs. In this process of construction, all the bits of knowledge and belief are rested, supported, one upon another, this piece interlocking with that, so that as they lean one upon the other, each serves to support, hold up, each one.

 

Just as would be if one started pulling individual sticks out of the pile in the game called 'pick up sticks', every piece removed causes a change in the stability of the entire stack. Sooner or later, pull out enough pieces, or even a single one froma place critical to the stabiliity of the entire stack, there's going to be some major shifting, even the total collapse, of the entire pile. So it is when any any one of our beliefs is tampered with, repositioned, or pulled from the stack to be discarded.

 

Yesterday's insight is having that effect. It is working it's way through my beliefs system, causing shifting wherever that piece that was shifted touches any other, and I know it will continue to for some time. This is part of the integration stage of this paradigm shift. And I find arising in my mind other bits of pieces of my beliefs system affected by that shift. As each one arises, comes into the light of consciousness, I find my self asking, probing, what the heck is this, anyway? What is it for? What does it do? And ultimately, do I keep this, maybe just adjust it a little, or throw it away?

 

It's amazing how many of the bits and pieces of our belief system, when pulled out of our mental closets and brought out into the light for critical examination, turn out to serve us no useful purpose, even turn out to be a hindrance to us. But just as when contemplating the consequence of pulling any particular stick from that pile in that game, we often find that dislodging that one that is serving to support others, is going to result in some signficant shifting in the rest of the structure, even a collapse in which many other sticks are going to be jostled out of place.

 

Every time I look at these bits and pieces of my beliefs system as one affects another, even more pieces are revealed that simply don't stand on their own when this critical supporting piece is pulled out and thrown away. At each level that I ask---what is this? What is it for? What does it do? Do I really need this, or should I throw it away?---I know that depending on my answer to that last question, I risk even further shifting...and I know from previous experience, the consequences of those shiftings and adjustments within my beliefs systems have the potential to be minor or major, even for bringing on a full blown crisis of beliefs. And we can never be sure, before we begin, just how far reaching and signficant the consequences will be. As with each bit of clutter-junk in my physical decluttering around my house, but what if this piece of unidentified household clutter turns out to be something I really need, such as that plastic sandwich baggie full of shiny, but seemingly useless brass nuts and bolts and caps I threw away awhile back, that I didn't realize until they were long gone to the garbage dump, were actually the hardware neccessary for putting together the like new, hardly used daybed stored in the garage, until I decided to give it to someone that needed it.

 

 

But ignoring this process of occasional mental house cleaning, decluttering of our beliefs system, presents a danger even greater, of eventually facing a crisis when the task of decluttering has become overwhelming.

 

Oh, well, the process has begun...there is no stopping it now. And I wouldn't even if I could. I let it happen in faith, that whatever the consequences, it has begun and will end in faith, and it will be ok.

 

Jenell

[soma]

Nice to see you’re watching the moment without trying to change it, it seems you are present and wakeful in the Eternal witness, your soul. I feel the Lord presents our path in this moment and every moment we are alive. Grant you not every moment is enjoyable, but witnessed in the soul they are appreciated as we see the harmony on a deeper level with the whole.

[JenellYB]

I've learned some hard lessons about trying to change it, or stop the process....doing so is something like trying to swim up rapids..a feat which, unless you happen to be a salmon, is a pointless waste of energy. Better to just go with the flow, ride the rapids until somewhere down stream you find yourself carried into once again, calmer waters.

 

Jenell