I resonate with that (and also with what many of the other commenters have written, thanks for taking the time to do so, it really helps to make this practice a discussion.) Particularly on days when I'm already mentally feeling many steps ahead of where my actual feet are the minute I wake up, there are two things I regularly do.
The first is that I keep my commitment to twenty minutes of my contemplative practice. If I think I'm too busy to practice, I'm too busy not to practice. As in the Karl Barth quote yesterday, it is very much a way to rise up mindfully in the disorder. But, as he also wrote, it's just the beginning.
The second thing I do is make the bed. It's a very small thing, and something I don't have to do. And that's precisely why it's important. A small act of ordering that makes me tangibly attend to something right in front of my face, not what's way out in front of me. To paraphrase Thich Nhat Hanh, I make the bed to make the bed. There's peace in that process. Making the bed, I wake up.
How do you mindfully unclutter your surroundings?
I wipe something down in the bathroome every day. Since that's the room I spend the most time in every morning, it's my launching pad for my day. Keeping it clean brightens my outlook most days.
ReplyDeleteGood question. It feels really good to hit the delete button on all the email I don't want to deal with.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I keep clean every day is the kitchen counter. Just one small spot in my house. Clutter...? I feel I am in a healthy place in my life...really I do. Mentally, I am more healthy than I have ever been. HOWEVER, I have some literally cluttered places I look at every day, and I have to wonder what it is that I am afraid to uncover. Ok...fine...I put it out there.
ReplyDeleteI have only one area in my house where I mindfully unclutter my surroundings; the kitchen. Everyday I make sure all of the dishes are in the dishwasher and the counters are scrubbed. I feel free when I go into a clean kitchen to prepare our meals. I just wish I could translate this to other parts of the house. I may adopt Ken's idea of making the bed. I was never required to make my bed as a kid and as an adult I thought it was a waste of time. I am going to explore the peace in the process.
ReplyDeleteWe had a family "clean-in" on Sunday and it was incredibly liberating: 5 straight hours of de-cluttering = many, many bags to Goodwill; a surprisingly large basement; and a (temporary) clearing on Oliver's floor. We ordered food from TD Alfredos and let the kids play whatever music they wanted, very loudly. While Q102 isn't my fave, it made for a wonderfully clean day.
ReplyDelete