My love and I spent the weekend in Sedona. It was our first road trip together. At one of the scenic outlooks, someone asked if we wanted a picture together. I laughed and said it would be amazing to have a full-body shot after countless selfies.
But when we got into position, I asked, “Wait, can you please shoot from the shoulders up? I feel a bit Pandemic Plush below the shoulders…”.
We all laughed, but that moment got me thinking.
Why was I so unwilling to accept all of me at this moment? Why was my face acceptable but the rest of me wasn’t?
Do you feel this way about anything in your life?
Your clutter? Home? Car? Clothes? Education? Neighborhood? Music taste?
What part of your life do you think is unacceptable to claim and display?
I think this tendency is part of being human. There are a million reasons why we reject parts of ourselves that are not only perfectly reasonable, but also amazing signs of abundance.
So, instead of going down the rabbit hole of why we have this tendency, let’s explore another line of thought…
What if the goal isn’t to fix the things we don’t like in our lives but to love them exactly as they are?
Let’s take clutter, for example. Clutter is literally abundance on display. Proof of the beautiful life you’ve been living—snapshots of your blessings and brilliant ideas. And yet, we want to carve it away.
I feel similarly about my body. And yet, when I look at what’s really going on, I’m rejecting myself and wishing I was smaller. Wishing I took up less space. Wishing I looked better for everyone who had to see me—punishing myself for imperfections. Wishing for an easier life. Wishing for a better feeling inside my mind and heart.
It’s so similar to what comes up for clutter.
Now, I’m not saying you should create a museum devoted to your clutter (although I’ve worked with some Maximalists who would happily do so).
What I’m asking is, “How can you love yourself fully, in spite of having certain things that aren’t quite how you want them?”
What if paring down wasn’t the lesson that clutter is inviting us to learn. What if acceptance was?
Take a moment to ask yourself, “What needs more love and acceptance in my life?”
Flow some love there now. Find three things you appreciate about it…exactly as it is.
Notice how your life improves by focusing on what’s good instead of what isn’t exactly how you want it.
We make more progress through kindness and acceptance than bullying and shame.
Thankfully, you get to choose what Rx you use.
