Pig Pen’s Swirling Dust
Back in 2006, I remember
watching an episode of “The Oprah Show” about Amish people. Oprah was granted a rare opportunity to
interview a young Amish couple about their lives. I remember she had to go through the elders
of their community to obtain permission to do this. The young couple didn’t even know who Oprah
was. I watched this show in total amazement
of how anyone, without electricity, and especially without cable TV, could be,
well – so happy! The more they talked
about the simple things that brought them happiness, and how wonderful they
felt their lives were, I remember feeling a bit envious of their ability to
feel that way. Back then, I clearly
couldn’t understand how that was humanly possible but now, as I’ve gotten
older, I completely understand. They
were simply content.
Lately I’ve felt like the
Peanuts character Pig Pen. I’m still the
borderline OCD neat freak I’ve always been, but I feel like the busyness and
rush of life is creating a non-stop swirl around me, the way Pig Pen was always
followed by the cloud of dust. I didn’t
realize how bad it was until this week. This
week was my best week in a long time! I
took an entire week’s vacation from my regular job, in order to be a full-time
author, and focus on my book. It was a
dream - it was fun - it was amazing! I
know I spent considerably many more hours working on my book, than I would have
worked at my “job” every day, but it never felt like work. I felt energized, inspired, and in my groove! I felt content.
Several days this week were
spent emailing documents back and forth to my editor, Holly. Going through the editing process made me
realize that I have a choice. I can
choose to accept the life I’ve written so far, or I can edit it in order to
create a life that fulfills me. Although
I worked hard this week, it was peaceful, it was calm, and it made me realize
how hurried life is. I much prefer life
to be like it was this week, all the time.
How can we edit our lives? How
can I find the stillness and calm discovered this week in my everyday crazy
life?
Joshua Becker says, “The
first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you
don’t. If you are not content today,
there is nothing you can buy this weekend to change that.” According to Graham Hill’s TED talk back in
2011, we have three times more physical living space than we did 50 years ago, but we are statistically not happier. He
also spoke of the booming $22 billion industry of personal storage because,
even though we have so much more living space, we have too much stuff to fit
into our space. I think the first step
in editing our lives is to ruthlessly edit the material things. I have clothes I haven’t worn in years. The major key to stop the progression is to
think before we buy. Will it truly make
you happier?
I do believe that editing
is the skill needed to find this contentment, but it’s so much more than
editing our closets. If we want to truly
edit our lives, to reach a contentment level, we need to start from the inside
out. This editing is a spiritual
journey. I also believe that the crazy
swirl of busyness has nothing to do with time management. I have this inner feeling that I always need to
be busy. If I’m busy, then I’m doing it
right. If I’m busy, then I can out run my
feelings. If I stay busy, I’ll get
there. The busier I am, the faster I’ll
get there. I won’t have to be so busy
when I get there. Life will be calmer
when we get there. But the truth is,
there’s no “there” there! It’s the same
thinking that the next thing, place, job, or number on the scale will be the
thing that makes you happy.
I think that sometimes
we remain super busy, filling our lives with more, to buffer the pain of what
may be going on inside. If we stay busy
enough we can out run the feelings. If
we never sit still long enough to think, we can’t feel the pain of fear or
regret. We just keep hitting those deadlines,
doing more, buying more, and trying to do it all, only to find out that it’s a
myth. It’s a myth that if you do more
you’ll be more. It’s a myth that the
more you do, or the more you have, the happier you’ll be. It’s all a big fat dust swirling myth.
It’s not enough that I
feel I have to always stay super busy, but I still struggle with the need to do
it perfectly. Brené Brown said,
“Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is
critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life.” The first step in editing my life on the
inside is giving up the perfectionism gene that still wants to raise its ugly
head. Striving to be “perfect” creates a
whole new level puff of Pig Pen smoke all by itself!
This week showed me that
I actually have a problem with avoiding the stillness and the quiet. Perhaps that’s why I was always so opposed to
trying to meditate. During the last
several days, I realized that I couldn’t remember the last time I sat in total
silence. No TV, no radio, no phone or
laptop, just me, alone with the quietness of my thoughts. It’s no wonder we feel exhausted and
anxious. When was the last time you did
absolutely nothing for at least a minute?
I did that this week, every single day, and it was good. It was really good.
This week I realize that
I need to remake my life from the inside out.
I want to find more of those quiet moments. That’s why this week I realized I need to
edit my life. I need to edit out what’s
not working on the inside, rid myself of those beliefs and thoughts holding me
back. Nathan W. Morris said, “Edit your
life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s
your masterpiece after all.” Editing
your life is about listening to your body and soul. Things will never change unless you take a
stand to change it. I’m the boss of my own time. I get to author my own life.
I learned that editing
my life means nurturing my soul by filling my soul with grace. Edit your life so you have time for those
quiet connections with God. Stillness actually
isn’t scary at all. I am now starting
to seriously dabble in that thing called, “meditation.” It’s very much like praying, only you just
sit there, with God. You don’t need to
say anything. Time in prayer, in total
quiet, is when I draw strength and am reminded of what’s true about God’s love
for me. This week I was more present, in
the here and now, than ever before. That
makes me feel content.
This week I learned that
it’s an inside job to settle the swirling dust surrounding me. I need to edit ruthlessly so I spend little
bits of time in silence and listen to myself.
God made that part inside of us for a purpose and it will guide you on
what to do next. Editing your life is all
about creating a grace soaked soul. It’s
about putting down the nonessentials and being present in your life. It’s about listening more to your inner voice
instead of the loud competitive voices of the world around you. An edited life is yours because it’s the one
you are choosing to live.
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