The
Clean-Up
“Perfectionism
means that you try not to leave so much mess to clean up. But clutter
and mess show us that life is being lived.”
Anne
Lamott (Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life)
The holidays are over—now
for the clean-up. Reminds me of the title of Jack Kornfield's book:
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry! We've decorated, partied, cooked,
eaten, reveled, and made a glorious mess. And now it's January. If
you're anything like me, you are torn between being weary of the
clutter, and being weighed down by inertia about putting things back
to normal.
These days, I do less and
less holiday decorating simply because it's an effort to pull it all
out and an even greater effort to put it all away. But I must admit,
I'm a bit reluctant to take down the lights this year—I love the
glow they give a room. They're kind of like having a fire in the
fireplace—homey and comforting. So I'm saying to you: don't clean
up too quickly. Take a little time to remember what transpired this
year, and how good it felt to have family at home and to spend
treasured hours together.
However, there is a limit
to what is tolerable to me in the way of “messiness” as I'm sure
there is for you. When I'm in the midst of a creative project, I
don't put things away—in fact, I pull out more and more. But when
one project is finished, and I want to begin another, I have to clean
up. I can't cook in a messy kitchen, and I can't begin a new project
in the clutter of an old one. I wonder whether you are that way, too.
Perfectionism is a
hobgoblin—it can suck the joy right out of everything you attempt
to do. It's one thing to want to be skillful, but when motivation
becomes obsessive, and you find yourself frustrated and
self-critical, you've crossed a threshold. I had a friend when I was
a girl whose mother went behind us, straightening anything we
touched, fluffing up the couch cushions we'd just sat on, wiping away
crumbs before we'd even finished eating the cookies. I felt anxious
and uncomfortable being in their house—which looked perfect, but
was cold as a tomb. Give yourself a little room for messiness.
Sometimes the best outcomes are the ones that just happen.
Clearing up the mess
facilitates memories—recalling good times, and pondering questions
or problems that may have come up during the holidays. In other
words, for clearing mental clutter. I also find it to be a good time
for boxing up things to take to a thrift store, the recycling center,
or the trash. It helps to set a goal for when the clean-up will be
complete, and to not simply move the mess to another part of your
house, so that two clean-ups will be required.
I hope your holidays were
merry. I send you good vibes for the clean-up effort, and here's
another famous Zen Proverb: “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry
water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” We must engage
with the messiness of life in order to grow our souls toward the
Light. Don't be too quick to clean up—life is being lived here.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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