OPEN THE DOOR

Imagine a closet over (OVER) stuffed with all the things. All the things you don’t want to deal with, don’t know how to deal with, think you’ll take care of later, have assigned some unknown value to that you think will reveal itself at a later date, experienced as painful, etc. You get the drift. It’s nasty. It feels overwhelming. You don’t have TIME to deal with it. You can’t even find the light switch to turn the light on and see what’s there! Perhaps it feels unimportant … because it’s in the dark … behind the door, and you think no one else is aware of it. And, besides, if you open the dumb door all that niggly naggly ick will come tumbling down all over the place!

Our tendency is to ignore the bulging door.

The deception of this situation is sort of like the small child who’s sitting next to you and places her chubby sweet hands over her eyes and thinks – no, believes! – no one can see her. It’s cute and innocent and, you laugh. However, you are now a grown up and not a ‘groan-up’.

Well, my darlings, its time. Its time for new beginnings, setting intentions and of acclimating your eyes to the dark or finding the light switch to better see what you’ve likely forgotten. It doesn’t have to be a big overhaul. Just set a timer for 20 minutes, open the door and either throw out, give away, repurpose or organize more efficiently a few of the items that tumble out. Make decisions about what you REALLY need to keep and what is just taking up space … and perhaps even rotting. Do this once every two weeks or so, to start. Don’t overwhelm yourself. It’s a big and important process.

Here’s the symbolism if you haven’t already picked it out: the closet represents your body, and the stuff is your undealt with emotions (you know … your feelings of anger, sadness, fear etc. that have been born out of the experiences and circumstances that have shaped your life and more). For now, please accept this information as a fact (or at least as an amusing new perspective) as this isn’t quite the time to get into all the details of this phenomenon.

Here’s a quick way to tell if you might have an ‘overstuffed closet’: Do you have a stiff neck, tight shoulders, frequent headaches, stomach aches, digestive issues, back pain, skin problems or other issues that have lingered for years? These are the strains of letting too much stuff hang out in the dark. They are the clues that there’s something inward that is begging for attention.

So you know, by no means am I minimizing the pain of any trauma you may have endured. I am simply recognizing, by the signs of your body’s aches, that there is way more vibrancy that you could be enjoying in this life … here and now. I would love for you to have that.

Now, imagine a closet that has been emptied and cleaned with its contents organized suitably so that there is now room for the things that really feed you and bring you joy. Bit by bit it is possible. Bit by bit you’ll find the switch and the light will shine.

I applaud your efforts and am hopeful for your self-nurturing journey.

-Peace