See what you have and keep your things in order
“Wash your dishes” sounds like something our mother would tell us, though it’s something I told a friend of mine who said he hadn’t washed his dishes in 3 months! Now there’s gotta be something growing on them by now, right? He announced he had left his dishes for this extended period in the sink and I told him to go home and wash his dishes, not to be a nagging mother, but because those dishes represented something in his life that he is avoiding. That’s what clutter is–the avoidance of things we aren’t willing, able, or wanting to face. Hence, the pile up of papers, the logjam of mail, magazines sitting on tables, the floor and any other flat surface as well as piles of clothes and other things we don’t want to face. Only by doing something with them, can we be free of it. Ahh, so true for so many things in our lives.
The plates in the sink are indicative of a larger problem. Sure, we are all busy these days and we don’t all have the time we’d like to get to the things that need our attention. What happens is that those few pieces of unopened mail become a pile that only gets bigger. It grows and overflows and then we miss important notices and bills that need our attention. What was once manageable has now grown unmanageable and has ballooned out of proportion. Usually while the mail is gaining girth, we discover our clothes are piling atop the chair, the dishes aren’t being washed in a timely manner, the piles of magazines unread cover the kitchen counter until it becomes overwhelming and we don’t know where or how to start.
I recall a story years ago from a minister and she talked about just such a scenario. Her home mess had mushroomed out of control and she finally had to stop the insanity. She took a candelabra and put it in the center of a mess in the kitchen and she began to clean. The candle represented, for her, the light of a greater presence. It helped bring awareness to her situation and to address the clutter that surrounded her and made her life unmanageable. She was able to successfully conquer her demons and create the home in which she desired to live.
I tell people, start with one pile and deal with that. Start with a corner of your desk, a file drawer, just pick one thing and begin to face it and get to the bottom of that clutter. Then move onto the next thing until the area is cleared. It is doable. It is possible to wash your dishes on a consistent basis and maintain your space as you need. Our homes and offices don’t have to be chaotic. They are sacrosanct and they deserve our attention to keep them clear and healthy.
If you need help, give us a call at 510.501.1213 and we will support you in creating the space you desire.