Storage Wars & Spirituality
The United States is a nation of hoarders. We spend about $58 billion dollars a year on the storage industry. This means, on average, every person in this country has 6 square feet of storage space. We are a people who are attached to our possessions, and we often rent storage units to keep them. We do not want to part with our stuff – be it those vinyl records from college (that’s me), a sentimental piece of furniture, or things we have not room for and will ‘need’ later; we hold on to these things as if it is the thing that houses the meaning.
Equally fascinating to an observer, our children typically do not want this stuff that seems so precious to us. It might be because they are surrounded with their own stuff, an overabundance of toys, clothes and other such supplements to life that are readily discarded or outgrown for the next something.
We carry this into our day to day living.
Spending time on the beach, observing people and their stuff, reminds me of this tendency. The way we approach going to beach is a good example of our attachment to stuff. Preparation to go down to the beach can be time-consuming and constitute a good deal of effort in the hauling to and from. The picture is taken this morning, real time; is the transporter missing anything?
Contrast this with time spent a few weeks ago with a 1.5-year-old; shoes quickly discarded, it the two of us without stuff. We spent two hours stacking pebbles and shifting sand through our fingers. Nothing else; a standout time for me because of the simplicity of having just that; time together unencumbered by the preparation, or the gathering up. Just the beach with gentle waves, intermittent sunshine, pebbles smoothed by the sea and tiny grains of sand offering a tactical sensation worth investigation.
This contrast is seemingly fraught with overwhelm, yet that is not necessary. It is simply an observation of how very difficult we humans can make something as desirable as time on the beach. We do the same thing in many faucets of our life; overthinking a decision that does not have a right or wrong answer, the contemplation of purchases – a couch, a picture, a car or what kind of pasta to have for dinner, or what to let go of in our home to have less clutter. It can start to feel overwhelming, numbing to the brain and leaves us exhausted.
What does this obsession with stuff say about us?
On the one hand, our attachment to material possessions can be seen as a way of trying to control our lives. Surrounding ourselves with things can create a pretense of security and stability. A sense that we have everything we need, and nothing can take it away from us.
But on the other hand, attachment to material possessions can also be seen as a way of avoiding the present moment. When we focus on our stuff, we are not paying attention to what is happening right now. We are not living in the moment. The more possessions, the more distractions.
This awareness helps us make subtle adjustments to how we approach the situation. What to keep and what to take, what to discard and what to store, how to live in the moment and not in the past.
I’ve been doing a bit of cleaning out a room in our home. It helps me see how readily things (for instance, something ‘won’ at a silent auction) can hang around for years, take up physical space and distract visually. The cleaning away of the clutter helps invigorate and invite continuing to other space, both inward and externally.
Clearing out the clutter in a room physically helps us streamline our thinking mentally. It helps discern what is important to keep (not a whole lot!), what can be shared with someone else (lots) and what is to be tossed or repurposed. I’m finding this then jettisons into the interior spaces with a lightness that feels welcomed. As if I’ve cleared away some of the interior cobwebs also.
What we store is simply delaying a later sorting. This is applicable to that which we put in physical storage units certainly. It is also true when we gloss over an unwelcomed response or internal reaction; eventually we need to sort it. Might as well start now!
The spiritual practice of letting go can help us to overcome our attachment to material possessions. When we let go of our stuff, we are not only freeing up physical space, but we are also freeing up mental and emotional space. We are allowing ourselves to be more present in the moment and to experience life more fully.
The next time you are feeling overwhelmed by your stuff, take a moment to reflect on its spiritual meaning. What does it represent to you? Is it a way of trying to control your life, or is it a way of avoiding the present moment? Once you have a better understanding of the spiritual meaning of your stuff, you may find it easier to release, inviting a bit freer, less cluttered life.
One of the journeys that invite me to let go of ‘my stuff’ is exploration of spiritual guidelines for living. Starting October 19th, over six weeks, I’ll be guiding a small group virtually as we explore together yogic observances (niyamas) using non yoga language. Each week will offer a practice and readings to consider so we are applying directly to our day to day living; it will help us see our ‘stuff’ and perhaps even invite us to gently let it go. To sign up or learn more, you can click here.