The Wisdom of a Cluttered Garage

How Cleaning My Garage Taught Me Better Self-Care

For the last two years, I have had this recurring issue. My heart and mind race out of control, and I can not calm myself down. While I initially thought it was a heart issue, my doctor told me it was anxiety. Maybe it has been the weight of the pandemic, the significant disruption in my daily rhythm, or too much time on social media. 

I suspect it was all of them together. 

Having this experience made me realize how I had always taken the health of my inner self for granted. And how easily I can fall apart when I am not intentionally nurturing my soul.

I should have known better, though. When I attempt to clean out my garage each summer, I survey the chaos and am quickly overwhelmed and anxious. To make it more manageable, I focus on a small section in the front left (about 3x3 feet) and only concern myself with that area until it is complete. Then I move to the next section.

This approach always helps me avoid being overwhelmed. It also makes the task more manageable while giving me a sense of control and achievement. But it took stepping back from the chaos to find a beginning place.

I knew that I needed to do the same thing for myself. I had to step away from the chaos around me and look within to find a beginning place. 

Richard Rohr wisely says, "The ability to stand back and calmly observe our inner drama, without rushing to judgment, is foundational for spiritual seeing."

How I care for my inner self affects my entire being, from how I see myself and my relationships to how I relate to my community and environment. How I feel about myself is how I begin to feel about everything. When one part suffers, the other parts begin to suffer. However, when one part flourishes, the other parts begin to flourish, as well. Everything is interconnected and integrated.

In the next few weeks, I will be writing about some of the past and present changes I have made to quiet the chaos and better care for my inner self, while sharing what I have learned through the process. 

Question

1. What chaos do you need to quiet so you can stand back and calmly observe yourself?

Peace,

Brandon