>I’ve been trying to declutter my life, and realized after several consecutive nights of insomnia that it might be wise to begin with my brain. How does one declutter a brain? Meditation? Perhaps. I’ve never been very good at meditating, which is obvious because one needs a decluttered mind in order to be good at it, to learn meditation in order to declutter. A circle I have yet to penetrate. So how else to clear out all of these thoughts? {Interesting side note: I accidentally typed medication the first time. Freudian slip?}
Well, I’ve been reading a lot of blogs lately. I blame…ahem, credit… two people for this: my neighbor for writing funny, sweet stories about her daughter on her MommyBrain blog, and Gretchen Rubin at The Happiness Project who has been instrumental in helping me on my quest for serenity. In any case, they’ve linked me to lots of other great blogs which probably contributed a bit to my mental clutter, but also gave me the idea that it’s helpful to just put a lot of these thoughts out there.
I’ve resisted this for many reasons that have to do with my battle to determine my sense of self as I redefine it in the wake of recent motherhood. Even after sleepless nights, I figured there was little point in writing a blog; why not just write a journal? Why post things for the world to see? I am already slightly obsessed with feedback and getting gold stars and being in the spotlight. Won’t a blog just exacerbate those drama queen tendencies? Perhaps, and yet I find the sharing of stories and ideas invaluable. I’ve learned a lot already and been given all kinds of food for thought by the aforementioned blogs and their blogging counterparts, so… maybe the teacher in me thinks others could learn from my thoughts and experiences.
Or else I’m just trying to make my mental clutter your mental clutter. Hard to say.
>What a great post! I think the idea of dumping those whirling, twirling thoughts is a type of meditation … or it can be. There's an ability to reflect on your thoughts – once that archive starts growing – can really put things in perspective and serve as a reference for where you are and where you've been. And, of course, feedback, commiseration, and support are added bonuses here in the blog world 🙂 Thanks for the shout-out … and thanks for pointing my toward The Happiness Project … good stuff!
>So, after reading your blog on decluttering, I found it to be interesting that I have similar thoughts and feelings. As you know, my children are moving into a scary age where they need me like a five yr old one day and they are showing me the ways of the world the next! This leaves me confused trying to determine my sense of self as well. How do I fit into their lives now? As they gain independence, I do too, so how does that change things in our family? Trying to find your sense of self when so many factors around you change so quickly isn't so easy! Maybe that is why we have to learn to be as flexible as possible, that way we won't miss too many opportunities along the way. You make many wonderful points, some I never thought of so I thank you for being brave and putting your thoughts out there for those of us who are a little more apprehensive!love you -Aunt Julie