Hello Peeps!
Happy Wednesday. SJ (Solomon Junior) is still wearing his heart on his tummy so he can say “Happy post Valentine’s Day, TSJ Peeps!”
Here at our small headquarters, we hope you feel lots of love flowing in and through you in the “pastures” you work and play in.
We hope you are letting go of things that worry you, make you discouraged and are like extra weights on your mind and in your soul.
Letting go seems to be a theme for Mr. John and me. We have been enjoying our new marriage and learning many things about this stage in life. And we are choosing to share some of the things we learn with our dear readers. We enjoy your feedback. Thank you for your emails and texts. And thank you for sharing thoughts and feelings of your own.
Today’s tidbit of wisdom is about “stuff” – our attachment to it and our frustration with it as well as the burden and joy of it. Mostly, we are reflecting on how difficult it is to let go of it.
So what do I mean about stuff?
You see, I have to be careful with that word because it is a trigger for Solomon to get defensive, and usually he is too wise to get defensive. Unlike us, he does not need to guard his ego or protect his self-esteem. He is usually telling me, “Let it go. God knows what you want and need.”
But in this one area with the word “stuff,” I swear he winces when he hears it. Why? Well – remember -he is a “stuffed” sheep. But I reminded him we are not talking about cotton stuffing that is soft, washable, comforting and safe. He is full of good stuff. That is his essence.
Both John and I are in the down sizing, streamlining business of parting with a lot of things until we achieve an organized whole. And at the moment it seems to requires vigilance, patience and discipline. It should pay off in a few months.
This week I am tackling shelves and shelves of books in the basement. Since it has been a year since they were placed there and I have not touched most of them, I reasoned that it would be pretty straightforward to pack up boxes and boxes for the library. And I thought it would not take nearly as much time as the other stored things.
I was wrong. It is harder than I planned.
Book after book brings back memories of the years of teaching, school psychology, brain research, therapy, counseling, speaking and consulting with families. I treasure those memories and I am grateful to the authors for guiding me through parts of my life in which I needed support. I keep the memories and let go of the books if they no longer can serve me well and someone else can use them.
But it brings up the grief word again. A certain sadness emerges when saying good bye to what once was. Books are companions for many of us. But like people we meet along the way, they have often served their purpose.
Mr. John is in the same process at his house. It is a slow process and for both of us it involves lots of reflection, self examination and re-examining our life experiences. Having each other by our side helps us tell our stories and relive the joy or sadness with each other. We gain insights and receive the gift of hindsights in the process. It is less lonely doing it together. And it helps to say, “Guess I can let it go.” Rest assured, we do this carefully and preserve things that are important for our children and families.
But stuff itself is a burden if just sitting there collecting dust and using up space on our shelves and in our psyche. Try cleaning out a small space (like a sock drawer or spice cupboard) and notice how much lighter you feel already.
Holding on to stuff takes up space. Overwhelm can set in. The same is true for our tightly guarded and sometimes outdated beliefs about ourselves, others and life. Held too tightly, our beliefs become heavy cast-in-concrete thought forms or mindsets that create inertia for exploring new thoughts and new experiences.
Tightly held beliefs often use up brain space and clog our spiritual system which is about flow and movement, growth and transformation. God is a verb. Always in motion. Love is a verb. Always in action. We can move more easily when we let go of unnecessary stuff, both materially and psychologically.
Do you have grudges, hurts, anxieties, beliefs, worries, fears, anger and outdated personal stories that might be taking up too much space in your life? It is all stuff.
Love and compassion, forgiveness and faith are like a laxative for the soul that unclogs our systems and allows us to travel more lightly and embrace life more energetically.
Hmm. Maybe it is easier to clean off my book shelves after all!
Happy playing in the pastures. When something troubles you, do what Solomon says and “Let it go and let love flow.” And not just a Valentine’s Day image of love.
Let’s create a legacy of love as we live more simply, make wonderful memories and allow more space for new adventures in our hearts, minds and lives! Solomon is all for it.
In fact, Solomon thought it wise to share a Bible verse with you this time: Part of Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets us, and run with patience the race that is set before us.”
