How often do you approach your closet and open it only to find clothing bunched together. Maybe some hangars are doubled up with a shirt or jeans. Your favorite shirt, you know the one from your local high-end department store, the one you couldn't live without, still displaying the tags on it from January 2020.
Shoes, unmated, are on the floor in a scaled version of Mt. Everest. Belts and scarves are strewn here and there in what only may be described as a multicolored mound of spaghetti.
After you sort through everything and find an appropriate outfit you venture to the kitchen to make breakfast before work. Your silverware drawer has enough utensils, of differing shapes and sizes of course, to serve a small army. Kitchen gadgetry, many that have not seen the light of day since the iPhone 8, line your kitchen counter top.
All of these 'things' are a sign of over commercialization in a society that values and determines a persons worth by how much and how many things one owns. The accumulation of things eventually leads to disorganization of thoughts and actions which in-turn leads to anxiety, most of which was brought upon by the fear of being undervalued.
So how may we mindfully embrace minimalism to reduce unnecessary stress and anxiety?
When we understand the positive results of actually owning less, the very opposite of what many societies value, we begin to offer ourselves a different perspective. And this new, or rediscovered, perspective places a higher value on gratitude for what is truly necessary for a balanced and fulfilling life.
Let's consider for a moment the earlier example of a drawer full of silverware.
When we have too much silverware we tend to also have an automatic dishwasher. As a result, we use a utensil once and put it into the dishwasher. And with each opening of the dishwasher we witness it getting fuller and more disorganized. We do this until the dishwasher is full or we run out of utensils.
By then the dishwasher is cluttered and we know we have to empty it once the cleaning cycle is over. This too is a source of stress and anxiety because we know what's in store for us.
But suppose as a family of four we were to only allow ourselves enough silverware for seven people. It's fine to have some extras for cooking or the occasional guest. And also suppose instead of a dishwasher we hand washed each item. When we hand wash we are able to use mindfulness with each item.
In other words we can offer gratitude to the spoon, fork, or knife for helping in the important act of nourishing our bodies. We may bring mindful attention to the amount of dish soap we use, or the fragrance of the dish soap, the feel of the sponge as we clean off the utensil, or even how the water temperature feels on our skin.
This connection is what mindfulness entails, being aware in the present moment.
And with that my friends I wish you all peace and ease,
Vladimir
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