WK 15 – MKMMA

Less Is More

I enjoy reading Haanel every week and each week there is one passage (if not more!) that really hits home with me. Here is what resonated with me this week:

We cannot obtain what we lack if we tenaciously cling to what we have.

My husband and I have spoken often of clearing out much of the ‘stuff’ we have in our home. We have helped clean out the home of my grandmother, and a grandmother on my husband’s side of the family when they died, and it was overwhelming having to deal with the accumulations of another person’s lifetime.

Several years have passed since we helped our parents clean out the homes of their respective parents, and I had forgotten how painful it was to sort through another person’s life and sell, give to charity, or throw away the many things that they had collected over the years. Both of our grandparents were raised during the depression era so that probably had something to do with the unbelievable amount of things that had been accumulated: magazines, yarn, plastic containers, cards, pictures, holiday decorations, clothing, electrical cords, blankets, non-working electronics, dishes, records, knick-knacks, and reams and reams of paper.  I told myself each time we helped clear a relative’s home, that I would never leave such a disaster for my son to have to deal with after I died.

But as I look around our home, and consider the attic above me filled with many of these same things, think of the drawers filled with school papers and projects from my son’s schooling that I still haven’t sorted through, the boxes of pictures I’ve been meaning to scan or put in albums, the filing cabinet filled with old receipts, medical records and bills, my closet containing clothes and shoes I’ll probably never wear again… I realize that if I were to die today, I would be leaving behind a similar burden on my son, despite my earlier resolutions.

Not only that but when I reflect on what Haanel said, I realize that I’m doing exactly the opposite of what I should be doing if I want to manifest my Definite Major Purpose: ‘tenaciously clinging to what I have’.  And it’s not just physical things. I look at all the files, and software and courses stored on my computer that I have purchased over the years and haven’t found the time to utilize, and I have to believe that clinging to those virtual things has to be just as harmful as the physical items. I’m already well on my way to getting rid of negative thoughts/unwanted peptides thanks to the 7-Day Mental Diet. I’m also focusing on releasing weight as part of my True Health PPN. I’ve observed myself committing my time without really considering the consequences, instead of investing it in the people and things that are most important to me. It’s amazing to me to see all the different ways in which, (in the past–changing that NOW), I’ve managed to cling to things I don’t really want.

Early in our marriage, Hogan and I traveled with some friends to Reno, Nevada and stayed with our friend’s uncle and aunt. I remember walking into their apartment and just exhaling. It was so relaxing to be there. It was very minimally furnished, the few surfaces in their home were free of clutter (or anything!) and I remember the feeling of peace I felt in their home. It made a huge impression on us and we talked of doing that same thing in our own home afterward, but we never made it a priority.

My younger brother and his wife sold their home and downsized drastically a few years ago. They purchased a tiny house and have been living in it for over a year.  Hogan told me jokingly yesterday that he’s about ready to sell our house and downsize to a tiny house so that we can retire earlier. I laughed and replied that it sounded good to me, but we’d have to really work hard at divesting ourselves of all the things we’ve accumulated over the years–and that it might take a while if we didn’t get serious about it fast!

However, sitting with this thought of not being able to obtain what I lack because of what I’m not willing to let go of these past few days HAS inspired me to fast-track our clearing out process. My husband is on board too, in fact, we posted some antique furniture that he inherited years ago on Craigslist, and we plan to continue doing that on a regular basis with some of the bigger items we no longer use regularly, or at all. If something doesn’t sell within a week, we are donating it to charity.

This will actually be a fun family project! I can already sense that peaceful, calm, relaxation, experienced years ago in that Reno apartment, becoming the atmosphere of our home now! But most of all I look forward to welcoming my Definite Major Purpose into my life sooner rather than later by making room for it to manifest!

Next Post

Previous Post