Wynne C
This has been a season of change for many people. It is no different for me. I had a big change in my life circumstances last year; I recently changed to a different job specialty, and just a week ago I moved from one town to another.
Anyone who has moved homes will know how tedious it is to pack. The longer you live in the same home, the more belongings build up. Moving is usually a good opportunity to sift through everything you own and decide what you want to keep or toss. In the past ten years of living in England, I have moved a grand total of eight times! You would imagine that I have now become an expert in organising my belongings and getting rid of junk. Surprisingly, it is only on my eighth house move that I decided to truly look at all the things I have and evaluate what I no longer need.
When faced with all the things I have accumulated over the years, it feels like taking a stroll down memory lane. There are certain items like ill-fitting clothes, expired canned goods and little trinkets that have somehow made their way from home to home on each house move. More often than not, these things are kept away in an unopened cabinet or an untouched box for years. Although they no longer serve their purposes, it still feels like they take too much effort to sift through. Perhaps it is that piece of clothing you wore on an important occasion in the past. You know it no longer fits, but you cannot bear to throw it out. Perhaps it is the mountain of expired canned goods in the unopened cabinet. You tell yourself that, one day, you will sort them out, but you somehow never get around to doing it. Instead, these things take up substantial space in your home.
Similarly, in life, we carry so much weight around with us. These unnecessary things we keep at home are like the baggage we carry in life that we are unable to leave behind. This can be a hurtful betrayal, a grievous loss, a painful memory or a grudge held against an unforgivable person. A lot of the time, these things are kept behind closed doors and we pretend to not acknowledge them. We think, “out of sight, out of mind”, right? Unfortunately, the baggage we hold onto takes up space in our lives that carry much greater potential than just being a dusty, untouched junk corner. By confronting them and letting go, we are freed up with more capacity to give and receive love, generosity, kindness and new opportunities in life.
Change can be difficult. Humans are known to be creatures of habit. We become used to a certain way of doing things and living life. Any hint of change can rock the boat and bring about uneasiness or even fear. However, as the great author C.S. Lewis once said, “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
Don’t feel pressured to do it all at once or even on your own. That can be extremely overwhelming. Speak to a counsellor, pastor, life coach or even a trusted friend. Take it one step at a time. I promise you, it will be worth your while!