"There is no getting what you want without making a mess."
My quote? No, something I read in Christina's blog that she transmitted from a recent teaching of Douglas Brooks'.
I thought it very appropriate because that is, quite literally, what I am doing right now -- making a mess in order for life to move on. The contents of the house I'm working on, while beautifully decorated at one point, are now in piles. Granted - neat piles; but piles, nonetheless.
On top of these piles of stuff are piles of emotion. Kind of a nervous, empty-pit feeling in my gut, alternating with a 'this is the right/only thing to be doing' emotion. A resoluteness.
Today will be moving day -- stuff to storage, stuff to shredding, stuff to ship, stuff to family members. The rest in the hands of an estate person to dispose of. Every inch of the house has been handled, sorted, piled, packed, set aside.
No more a beautifully decorated home, but a pile of stuff representing the accumulation of several lifetimes. Making a mess to get what I want, you might say.
I am sure there is a more philosophical definition that Douglas might apply; there always is. For me, as a pragmatist, things/phrases always become clearer when I can apply them to life.
When I look at my life, I can nod my head to the number of times dramatic shifts have happened. They have always required that I 'make a mess'. One example might be my movement into yoga. My life prior to these past 12 years was filled with working, socializing, shopping, keeping up (i.e. cars, house, furnishings, etc.). As I introduced myself at Inner Harmony 6 years ago, John asked what I did besides yoga - my answer 'corporate wife'. There has been a big shift from that lifestyle. Externally I may look the same, but inside there's a greater sense of self - not based in how much I have or how good I look (though I do want to look nice). I am different. In order to be different, I had to tear down some of the old structure of my life and rebuild. Make a mess to get what I want.
Too much to do today to contemplate this brief foray into philosophy and its application to my life much further.
Enjoy your Monday,
About Me
- Leslie Salmon
- Fallbrook, California
- I have been teaching yoga since 2003 (and began my yoga practice in 1998 at the age of 48). I have maintained E-RYT 500 status with Yoga Alliance since 2007, and in 2013 received my Certification through the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga. In classes, I love to to hear people remark - "I didn't know I could do that!" or "Why do I work so hard, yet feel so good?". When not teaching or practicing yoga, time spent with husband, Grand-Dudes and family, and friends is time well spent. Learning, whether it be from a philosophy scholar, an asana teacher or from my students, is a life-long process -- all have lessons to offer me. I am listening - with space in my heart and mind - to all the voices around me. Thank you for reading.
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