Jane Witherspoon is a Canadian expat adventurer, yoga instructor, and passionate rambler who recently relocated from Panama to Denia, Spain.
There is a popular meme on social media right now about the Japanese organizing consultant KonMari (aka Marie Kondo), who advocates holding an object to determine if it brings you joy and, if it doesn't, to let it go. In the meme, folks throw out a scale, vegetables, a treadmill … and the list goes on. You get the joke.
As funny as this is, it made me take another look at attachments and ponder the idea of letting go.
Since facilitating a significant life shift fifteen years ago, I have moved many times, including to two different countries. With all the practice I've had, one would think it would get easier, but not so. Learning to let go is an ongoing process.
Two weeks ago, I returned from a whirlwind trip to Panama, our previous country of residence, after finalizing the sale of our condo. Our condo was our haven, and we filled it with items we had collected on our adventures. Our mission was to return to Spain with four 50lb bags of only those things we truly felt would bring meaning to our new life.
There were some tough choices to be made, and in the end, I left behind some treasured possessions. I am still getting pangs of sadness over them, but to make myself feel more at ease, I hope that someone else will get as much joy out of them as I did.
By nature, I am a collector of things, finding objects that make me happy and bring joy when I admire them. I also firmly believe in the three R's, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, so I love rambling through garage sales and secondhand stores, looking for that unique find that would make me smile with delight. In the ongoing process of learning to let go, I am more selective in what I choose to bring into my life, except clothes; I am not sure I will ever win that battle.
This is a time when many of you may be thinking of downsizing, preparing to travel more, or making life simpler; harboring feelings of anxiety at the thought of letting things go is a waste of our precious time. But don't worry; we all go through this, and it is normal.
From early childhood, we form attachments with our possessions. They brought us comfort during times of distress, were our friends, and made us feel safe and loved. One of my daughters had a deep attachment to a crib sheet, of all things, and slept with it for many years. She is in her late 30s, and I believe she still has what is left of it tucked away somewhere.
When I am worrying too much about an attachment to material objects, I remind myself that I don't need things to be happy. I focus on what is essential in my life, people, living in the present moment, and getting out and embracing all that this incredible journey through life has to offer.
Now having said that, as I prepare to head back to Canada for a month to spend time with my family, I will again go through several bins of my belongings that I have stored there since I moved to Panama. Every summer, I pull them out, admire the items in them, then box everything back up till next year. One day I will be ready to release these last remnants of a previous life, and…maybe not.
And so, my Sole Sisters, as you ramble out into your week, allow yourself time to reflect on attachment and learn to feel at ease with letting go.
What attachment are you struggling with right now, and how are you working your way through it
The root of suffering is attachment. - Buddha
Letting go is difficult because you are breaking an
emotional attachment that you have with things or people.
When you truly let go, you release what is not allowing you to fly.
It is important to remember if that thing or person isn't your wings,
then they are your weight.
READ MORE > Jane's Mindful Musings, Rambler Cafe Blog
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