“Low Disk Space”. My laptop has been popping up this message for several weeks. Until today, the thought of having to go through all of my files, in order to delete anything unnecessary, seemed like a chore and a waste of time. Wouldn’t it be easier just to transfer everything onto a hard disk drive, instead?
This morning, however, the words spoken by a sophrologist, at a trial class that I attended yesterday, rang in my mind: “How can we make space for the present, for the new, when we are holding on to the past, to the old?”
My laptop needs space to save new files, to perform new functions. My old documents, photos and music are blocking it up from being able to serve the purposes for which I need it today. It is asking for my help to clear it of the unnecessary junk that I’ve been storing all these years.
As humans, clearing up our system of the past is crucial to a fruitful, productive and fulfilling life in the present. Unfortunately, unlike the laptop, we are not programmed to recognise a file overload (until it reaches a critical state). We have to look into ourselves on a regular basis in order to understand this.
Our past fears, frustration, grudges and negative emotions do not serve us today. They are in the mind; they exist only as thoughts and memories. Today’s reality is different to yesterday’s. In order to live fully today, our mind and body must be in the present.
“Think of an acorn”, the sophrologist said. “It has only one thought – to grow in to an oak tree. It has no awareness of the past and no concept of the future. But it knows what it must achieve today: to grow. So everyday it focuses on growing, looking only at the present circumstances – rain and sun – to help it do so. When it can grow no more, it dies, and is recycled into a new life-form”.
Today, I will free my laptop of old and unnecessary junk. Today, I will connect to myself and recognise the thoughts, beliefs and emotions from the past that hold me back from living fully today.
What unnecessary thoughts are blocking up your mind?
What beliefs from the past do not serve you today?
What negative emotions, based on past events, prevent you from moving forward?
What excess baggage, emotional and mental, do you carry around, not noticing its heavy weight on your life?
Love Out Loud 
Very interesting post! So true. : )
I love this analogy. Every day I try to assess what to keep and what to leave behind, so I can’t think of anything huge that’s weighing me down. (If you’d asked me a couple months before I wrote the post “An abridged history of my hate,” the answer would have been very different.)
I do sometimes struggle with one old belief, namely the belief in heaven. The new me believes it’s possible, not certain, and wishes she could have the certainty of her 10-year-old counterpart.
Reading your post made me think about how much of my actions today are conditioned by that infamous baggage. It’s like in your heart you realize you need to let it go. But in real life you don’t quite find it in yourself and view the step more as something that will happen in the distant future. Here’s to at least trying for a baggage free week. Great post!