It Starts With A Graceful Goodbye (Part 2)

Most people de-clutter and get rid of old things from time to time. I know a family that puts an interesting twist on this. Instead of actually throwing away or donating the old things, they build more shelves. They get rid of nothing. Just build more shelves to proudly display all the old items they never use.

Eventually, the shelves get packed and spill out onto the ground. At that time, the shelf-building begins again. This continued for years, and inevitably they ran out of wall space for shelves. Instead of getting rid of anything, they built a shed. A very big shed. It’s filling up.

True story, and funny.  But many of us use this clever tactic on ourselves…without ever realizing it. On the inside of us are shelves and sheds, maybe warehouses, of old stuff, unfinished business and incomplete pasts. We can exist with all of it, but it gets pretty heavy, doesn’t it? And it gives us a false sense that we’ve made room for the new we long for when in fact all we’ve done is built a storehouse for the old. It’s exhausting. And we wonder why the struggle continues and the new never comes.

We started a conversation Last Week for bringing forth something new where something old already exists. You absolutely can have that wonderful new thing you desire. And it requires one thing.   The old must give way. You must create space for the new. Real space. Not the sneaky strategy that fools you into thinking you’ve cleared the area when really you’ve just re-organized your junk.  This is the subtle but powerful distinction that can make all the difference in the quality of your life.  Make real space, not more shelves!

As a living being, there is something new that wants to emerge in you right now.  Maybe it’s been wanting to emerge for years.  What is it? What is it that is calling you to make space for its arrival? Really get a sense of what this could be. What must you give up, let go, clear out and complete to make room for it?

You either get to cling to the old clutter or clear the way for new life. At the end of the day, the quality of the life you have will be a reflection of whatever you have made room for. I think we get scared that the new won’t come, so we hold on to the old. Ironically, this leaves us prolonging the “winter” in our lives. But spring always comes. I haven’t missed one yet.

The completion of winter ushers in spring. The completion of your old allows the arrival of your new. If you make room, your new will come. It may already be on the way, waiting only for the place to land. So make peace, forgive, accept, acknowledge and say goodbye.  Your next graceful goodbye is the beginning of your next delightful hello!

Be Great!

Becky