Cut through the clutter

A few days ago I found myself surrounded by stacks of old newspapers, half-read magazines, sentimental odds and ends — a pen that I had used to sign an important document, an early camera, a variety of curios, precious old letters, books and photos etc. Having ventured to do some major spring cleaning (as we are all forced to do at some point when we paint, renovate, move house or undertake pest control) I found the clutter from all that I had collected simply overwhelming  .

Too much clutter fouls up the energies and allows it to stagnate. There is little chance of any positivity in such space. It hampers clarity of thought and just the sight of the clutter is enough to drain one physically, mentally and emotionally. Clearing clutter periodically can be a kind of spiritual exercise. Fortunately in India we do this routinely before festivals. Hindus for instance believe that Goddess Lakshmi will not enter a house that is messy and unclean. Cleanliness is next to godliness indeed!  The only way to get rid of the clutter is to let go of the unwanted stuff.

Once you do that and dust, cobweb, mop and spruce up the place, you pave the way for attracting positive energies. Not everyone enjoys cutting through the clutter, which is why people merely put it out of sight, or shift or let it accumulate and postpone dealing with it. However, if you approach the not-so-easy task with equipoise, if you do it mindfully and don’t hate it, it is easier to get it done. Learn to not mind the temporary chaos until order is restored. Having your life turned upside down occasionally, thanks to the clutter, is good. At various stages of your life, the priorities shift and newer areas of focus emerge. This is reflected in the things you acquire and need as well. Adapting without a fuss is the only way to preserve your sanity.

In the process you learn that life is a balance between holding on and letting go. It is all about choices — keep the stuff that is truly valuable and learn to part happily with what you don’t need and can be put to good use by others. In that sense, it is a metaphor for life itself.The treasures we find while wading through a mound of clutter are often a throwback to the past, rigging up memories of the experiences you had.

Very often you come across things that remind you of problems that at one time seemed larger-than-life but are totally inconsequential now. This gives you the added confidence to face life, for it helps you realise that problems fade away in intensity over time and even sort themselves out. A clutter-free, orderly space is in the final analysis conducive for spiritual growth. Working to achieve that is well worth the effort .In the bargain there are spin-offs for free that serve as great pointers.

The writer is a Reiki channel, yoga practitioner and a spiritual seeker