It's a Matter of Trust

Clutter.  Weight gain.  Financial insecurity.  What do they have in common?

Well, looked at from a certain angle, they can be seen to come down to the question of trust.

I don’t know about you, but I like to have things pretty much sewn up.  I like to know what’s happening and when.   I like to know, for sure, that everything will be OK.  Because anything else involves trust, and I ‘m not very good at that.  So I stockpile supplies a bit.  I eat a little more than I should.  I worry about the money.

And it occurs to me that I and anyone else wrestling with these issues might be better served talking to a competent therapist and learning how to trust, how to let go of the belief that we live in a dangerous and malevolent world and can only be safe if we’re armed to the teeth with spare staplers, outgrown clothes, snack foods and three year old issues of our favourite magazines.  That we need a million dollars in savings just to be able to get out of bed in the morning.  We’ll probably be further ahead spending our money on that than on yet another organizer or gym membership or productivity system.

I find it so much easier to clean up and get things done when I’m able to  believe in the people around me and their willingness to help out should I ever need it.   I can declutter like the best of them when I’m secure in the belief that there is plenty of stuff to go around and should I ever need another one of these things, chances are I’ll be able to find it.  And I can say no to seconds when I remind myself that the fridge works and there’s always tomorrow’s lunch to finish this tasty, tasty meal.

But the biggest hurdle to get over, the one that gives the biggest reward (isn’t that always the way?) is learning to trust myself. To trust, not that the Universe will provide whatever I need whenever I need it, cuz, seriously, I just can’t swallow that one.  I mean, it might.  It often does.  But if it doesn’t?  I need to learn to trust that I’ll be able to use my brains to come up with a decent alternative.  I’ll invent, improvise, make do or move on.

How about you?  Where do you stand on the trust question?

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9 Responses to It's a Matter of Trust

  1. margaret says:

    beautiful…thanks…

  2. Lindsey says:

    I was having that same conversation only yesterday. I’ve been trying to cut as much stuff out of my life as possible lately, but kept running into the same “but what if I need it?!” question. I have no doubt that being raised around my grandparents who lived through the Great Depression added to that. I literally had to sneak stuff into the outside trash can on trash day to get rid of it. I suppose I am still coming to terms with the idea of trusting myself to provide what I need when I need it. It is definitely where I want to be.

  3. TalesNTypos says:

    Couldn’t agree more. Great post.

  4. Kim says:

    Perfectly perfect…

  5. Kim says:

    I just finished up that book, “It’s All Too Much” by Peter Walsh and while he didn’t make that exact point, he did make a good argument why clutter and weight gain are similar. I agree.

  6. Florin says:

    well, you can’t thrust a thief. You have to watch your back and don’t be so naiv.
    You can trust in a much greater power like God, that everything is ok and it’s for your own good and you have to do your best in everything you do and make the best of every situation and and and…

    You have to be careful. if you go and walk on ice and you can’t walk the right way, you’re gonna fall.But, if anything happens the best thing to do in life is to thrust ONLY yourself because you already know everything.

    peace to you Barb 🙂

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