ONE GOOD HABIT

Man is a creature of habit: doing and following a learned pattern of acting or thinking or feeling. We learn this pattern of responding to problems and challenges in life from those whom we closely associate with starting with our parents and following it through with our peers, friends and spouses. Some habits are good while others are bad. We develop these habits to fit in or gain approval of others and occasionally we develop habits to remain different. Good habits help to conserve human mental energy for more complex tasks and challenges while bad habits cost us by wasting energy and limiting human growth and development. It is the responsibility of parents to guide children into establishing good habits in the early years of their lives.

One good habit I have been practicing for the last twenty years is to organize my physical space regularly. At the end of each winter season, I would comb through my wardrobe for items that I did not need any more and give them to the children in  the SOS Children’s Village. I would also give some items to the helper in the house. At the end of the year, I would also clear the kitchen and my desk, leaving only what I needed at that moment in time. I had no attachment to things so I never even kept anything that I hoped to use in the future. By letting go of things that I did not need, I was freeing my mind, heart and soul to engage fully with life. As a result, my life was organized ; my self-esteem was high and I was more productive and creative in my work. I did not need a psychologist to teach me that there was an emotional connection between a disorganized physical space and attachment to things.
During the short time I have been home , I seem to be accumulating things more than I have ever done in my life ! I am worried that if I continue holding onto things, they will weigh me down. Both my mental and physical health will be damaged. I have had to pause and ponder.
I have had to ask myself what I was doing differently and why I had relaxed about committing without being attached to people or things.
Am I being affected by the disorganization floating all around me in the country? Is there something missing in my life to be a complete individual? Have I missed what is most important in my life at this moment in time ? Do I feel that I have a lot of free space in my home?

I have had to read extensively about Clutter and Declutter. The psychologists have helped me understand what I am experiencing in my life. The clutter in my life symbolizes some emotional baggage and unfinished business in my life.
I am one of those people who function best where there is order and functional systems. If I am to survive and thrive in this chaotic environment, I have to create some order of some sort. I have everything in me to function as a complete individual. I have to rely on myself once again and pursue things that inspire me and keep me busy. I should improve my life – physically, mentally and emotionally and the best way to start is to do what it takes to overcome this bad habit of allowing physical stuff to take up room in my life. I have to replace the bad habit I had picked up with the old good habit I had established years ago. I have to ‘relearn’ to organize my physical space by letting go of my attachment to things and people. It is the only way I can stop all my old boundaries from being blown apart. It is a gradual process. I have to go through all the clutter one item at a time. For each item I have to assess its value in my life and its association to what I want to achieve at this level of my life. The cardinal rule still holds: keep only what you need at that moment in time . I should not keep anything that does not bring anything positive in my life or anything that I hope to use in future.
I believe that my strong character will help me to break that bad habit I had picked up. I am so determined to improve my life that if I fail to overcome the habit, I will have to seek for professional help.
After all I know for sure that asking for help is a sign of courage and wisdom.
Oprah Winfrey says : “ You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.”
“ Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.’’ Author Unknown.

Thank you for visiting my Blog and reading this post. I would love to hear from anyone who could be going through a similar experience. Iron sharpens iron. Feel free to share this post with family and friends.