Empty is the New Full

I’m ready to spend the rest of winter hibernating under a blanket next to a mug of steaming coffee and a book. With only so much free time…or maybe that’s so little…I resist the lure of indefinite titles of TV shows to binge watch…opting for the quieter option of reading. Since watching Coach Taylor and other memorable characters on Friday Night Lights a few years ago I haven’t been inspired to watch another series…(I welcome your recommendations).

One Netflix show—Marie Kondo’s series about tidying up—has been in the spotlight. Yet I don’t have the desire to sit on my couch while watching someone else purge when I know that my garage, bedroom, and basement need a full-time consultant to help rid my house of joyless clutter.

Last week I talked to my good friend who recently moved into her new home. They sold most of their furniture before crossing 5 states, so her voice echoed while walking through her living room. I suggested taking photos of the open space. To take it in. Enjoy the vast room and possibilities. To savor that freedom to acquire at leisure. Over the course of time and the natural need to have a sofa and other furniture—the house will fill up.

For our wellness we all can concentrate on “clearing house” versus just donating unused things. We can choose mind over matter. Like, literally….choose a clear mind and focus on simplifying thoughts and energy vs. time spent on purging actual objects.

There is value to feeling empty. To be able to breathe deeply. To reflect how you’d like to fill it. If you’re so stuffed…how can anything new fit in? It’s uncomfortable and unhealthy.

From my own perspective I have noticed my personal habits change. From working at an aggressive pace every day and going out nightly as a twentysomething. To having a schedule so full with ink that somehow I got through it all. Thrived on it, actually. To my thirties balancing playdates with constant diaper changes and tossing in a part-time job. To now…how choked I feel if I don’t build in that space. A natural buffer. How stressed I feel when the candle burns on 6 ends. I gravitate towards the pull to just be—reading, writing, spending time outside…

In getting older--do you need more quiet? More space? More free time?

If seeing posts about cleaning out stuff exhausts you—if that isn’t you or your priority—then I suggest looking inward. You can get your fill out of emptying your schedule, clearing your head, saying no to commitments, and crafting time for yourself. Emptiness allows time to breathe, to get hungry, to quietly reflect, and to appreciate the space. By allowing yourself breaks you open yourself up to other ways to feed and fuel your soul. As Coach Taylor cheered with his team on my favorite TV show—“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” Free your mind and enjoy the fullness of that emptiness.