Get Rid of the Old

"Get rid of the old, to make room for the new"

I have a mantra resonating in my mind this week; it came from the book The Passion Test.  The authors tell us we must first 'get rid of the old, in order for the new to come our way'.   Why is it, do you think, that we cling to the old, even when it’s not working for us?  It's a bit like the saying: the definition of insanity is doing the same thing you've always done, and expecting different results.  But in this case it's; keeping the same things you've always kept and expecting new results.

…I’ve been eyeing my overflowing, crammed full, messy closet.  And every time I stick my head in there to get something to wear…the passion fairy’s voice echoes…”get rid of the old.”  Could it be that a great way to make progress in creating my ideal life, is to begin with my physical environment?

Since starting my blog, I’ve made some long term health changes in my life which resulted in losing weight and a couple of clothes sizes. As you may have already surmised by now,  I tilt the scale between frugal and cheap, so instead of getting rid of all my clothes that got too big,  I thought I’d just have the pants altered… That way I’d save money and still have plenty of clothes to wear to work.

….So, I kept the old, and then gradually added a few new things.  As I began buying the size that actually fit me, I realized the altering technique I had used was making me look a tad frumpy in my old clothes.  As my deceased mother-in-law would say…, “Your saggy butt clothes make it look like a family moved in down there.”

This fall I received several gift certificates for my birthday so I decided it was time to replenish some of my wardrobe.  As I bought my new clothes, I stuffed those purchases into an already full closet of mostly old stuff.

It reminds me of many of our lives.  We come across a new idea, like finding our passion, and we try and cram it into our already cluttered up life and wonder why it doesn't fit into what’s already there. It's because we're not willing to let any old ideas go.  That doesn’t exactly set you free, if you know what I mean.  We cling to those old clothes or those old ideas, even if they don’t fit, or if they’re not really working for us anymore. 

Why would we do that?    Because you never know when you’ll need them?  What if I gain the weight back?  What if I get rid of those old comfy clothes, and I don’t really like the new stuff?  What if shoulder pads are coming back into fashion?  What if I need to make a quilt and I don’t have money to buy any material?  It's silly isn't it, and really all about that 'ole security thing'…  It’s the same reasons we don’t take the leap and go after our passions. 

I'm thinking that it might be helpful to observe our own external habits of hanging on to the old and letting stuff continue to pile up.  Do we do the same thing internally as well: pile up old feelings, to-do lists, resentments, judgments, old fashioned comfortable ways of thinking?  If so, we are not letting our minds change or evolve or grasp this new idea of letting go to make room for the new. So if you're stuck making progress towards your ideal life, then lets begin with some of material stuff we keep.  Let's teach our minds to start letting go of old things that are keeping us from having the kind of life we dream of.

I came across this YouTube video and it gave me a chuckle.  It reminds me I'm not alone in having trouble getting rid of the old and although I have good intentions; it's only productive if I follow them with action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr4L_8yDE3c
 

Join me this week and find a drawer, a closet, or a shed that is full of ‘old stuff’ that has lost its usefulness, it beauty, its ability to bring us joy, and get rid of it.

I'd love to hear from you.  Email me at: smallsteps4bigresults@yahoo.com