A few years ago if you would have told me the hottest, trendiest show on Netflix today would be a show about \u201ctidying up,\u201d I would have thought you were crazy.<\/p>\n
There is so much content on streaming platforms these days \u2014 some of it\u2019s even nominated for Oscars. And we\u2019re watching people clean? Sandra Bullock is paddling down white water rapids wearing a blindfold. Every comedian you\u2019ve ever heard of has a comedy special \u2014 and they\u2019re getting coffee with Jerry Seinfeld. People are making really horrible cupcakes on \u201cNailed It!\u201d \u201cThe Office\u201d is even on there \u2014 like, all of it. And I\u2019m watching people clean?<\/p>\n
Yes, I, too, got sucked into the polar vortex (or maybe that\u2019s something else) of Marie Kondo. \u201cTidying up with Marie Kondo\u201d is apparently starting a revolution of people vertically stacking their folded shirts, putting all their silverware in tiny boxes and \u201csparking joy\u201d in every room they enter.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard to argue with the results. A clean and organized house is refreshing. Our lives are complicated enough, so putting things away appropriately and living in an attractive home is appealing.<\/p>\n
As great as that process is and as weirdly binge-worthy Marie Kondo\u2019s show is, I started to realize that maybe I could use some tidying in other areas of my life.<\/p>\n
I live a stupidly busy life. I\u2019m guessing you do, too. I like busy. I like doing a bunch of tasks and checking a bunch of boxes. When I take a minute to stop, it\u2019s easy to see how messy my mind is. Frankly, a journey through my brain probably looks a lot like the \u201cbefore\u201d shots on \u201cTidying up.\u201d<\/p>\n
I have that project lying over here. It\u2019s not finished, but I know where I left it and I\u2019ll come back to it tomorrow. And, oh \u2026 that? Yeah, I meant to finish that yesterday, but I had too many other tasks to finish. I also meant to send that thank-you note lying over there, but I haven\u2019t had 10 minutes to consider what I would even write.<\/p>\n
When I have a cluttered mind, it\u2019s hard to feel at peace. Instead what comes more naturally are feelings like worry, stress, pressure and joylessness.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s pause for a minute to read these words from Paul in his letter to the Philippians:<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.\u201d (Philippians 4:8)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Ahh. That. That sounds more like a Marie Kondo home and less like my cluttered mind.<\/p>\n
Busyness isn\u2019t necessarily honorable.
\nPressure to succeed isn\u2019t pure.
\nA long to-do list isn\u2019t lovely.
\nDwelling on your shortcomings isn\u2019t commendable.<\/p>\nFor a lot of us, busyness is unavoidable. We simply have to work to pay our bills and care for our family. We don\u2019t have much control over that.<\/p>\n
What we do have control over is how we think and what we think about. Do you find yourself constantly focusing on what you didn\u2019t get done today? Are you carefully sidestepping junk in your mind you meant to get rid of a long time ago? Do you worry you\u2019re not good enough or that you should be \u201cbetter\u201d than you are at this point in your life?<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know if we\u2019ll ever be able to completely get rid of those thoughts. However we can direct our thoughts. We can force ourselves into positivity through gratitude. God wouldn\u2019t have included those words in Philippians if they were impossible. We are able to think about lovely things when less-than-desirable thoughts come more naturally.<\/p>\n
Next<\/h2>\n
One aspect of the \u201cTidying up\u201d show I keep hearing people talk about is how Kondo responds to junk. As she\u2019s helping people get rid of clutter, she instructs them to treat these inanimate objects with kindness. She encourages them to put down the items carefully, gently fold and express gratitude as they say goodbye to things they no longer need.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll be honest: I thought that was super weird.<\/p>\n
But the more I thought about it the more I realized that it could be strangely meaningful to give a proper goodbye to something.<\/p>\n
So if you find yourself with an overly cluttered mind, maybe it\u2019s time to gently fold that side hustle and send it on its way. Maybe it\u2019s time to stop checking your phone every 46 seconds. And that one memory from your previous job or relationship? It might be nice to remember, but holding it too closely may not be pure and commendable.<\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s time to thank God for the lessons those things taught you and then gently and respectfully send them on their way.<\/p>\n
Spark joy<\/h2>\n
A cluttered mind (and a cluttered house) is common. Many people don\u2019t live with an overabundance of peace. But we can do better. Again, from Paul:<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.\u201d (Philippians 4:6)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
We don\u2019t have to live in the messy chaos of clutter. Instead, we can live by prayer with thanksgiving, trusting God to meet our needs and direct our future.<\/p>\n
And that is how you truly spark joy.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2019\u00a0Matt Ehresman. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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