Monday Love to your Inner Editor

“ The best skill at cards is knowing when to discard.”

?~?Baltasar Gracián

How do you decide when to cut something loose? What makes you hang onto things longer than you need?to? Whether it’s physical objects, interpersonal relationships, or your private behaviors, when do you know it’s the moment to set them free?

There’s probably a name for the mysterious force of nature that somehow makes it easier to accumulate than to let go. Perhaps some of us are simply magnetic in one way or another, and not quite in control of our personal law of attraction.

Folks who can maintain a healthy level of “enoughness” and minimalism while prospering and comfortably meeting their physical needs seem to be a rarity in today’s world.

It’s no secret that consumer culture in the USA encourages us to buy more, shop more, and have more. The typical suburban house is equipped with a two car garage, yet often has two vehicles in the driveway. Why? Because of stuff.

Stuff accumulates and outgrows our drawers and shelves and closets. It overflows from our kitchens and bedrooms and living rooms and lands in the limbo of our unused spaces.

Procrastination is the dance partner of accumulation. Together the two conspire to build a backlog of postponed decisions. Eventually, things overflow. Witness the proliferation of self-storage facilities across the American landscape.

If any of this rings true in your own life, it’s time to indulge in the dance of your inner editor. An editors job is to take something that is bloated and trim the fat. Eliminate the excess so that the quality shines through.

Whether it’s personal belongings, bad habits, or problematic people, there is an art to drawing a line in the sand. The idea of “giving good no” applies to every realm of life.

Here’s a thought experiment. Think back on something you have recently released from your life. Do you miss it? Do you think about it often? Chances are, the answer is no.

All you have done is lighten up or made room for something better. It’s a great feeling to be unencumbered. When in doubt, ask yourself: Use it? Love it? Or lose it.

Lightening up is a process. With the help of eBay, Craigslist, NextDoor, etc., I’ve been peeling away items of value that will not be making the move with me to France.

It’s as if all of life is a rough draft. It only becomes poetic when you pare it down.

Happy editing and much love until next week!

M+

ML?#602

Mark Metz Director of the?Dance First Association

Publisher of?Conscious Dancer Magazine

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Monday Love is the weekly inspirational newsletter written by Mark Metz, publisher of Conscious Dancer and director of the Dance First Association. Join our mailing list and learn about membership at www.consciousdancer.com