Shaking the House
By Jennifer Gleeson Blue
Personal and Professional Development Columnist, MavenMag
Winter can seem endless. It’s cold. Trees are barren, and the wind will not let up. I get antsy. I check airline prices to the Caribbean. I complain about how pale I’ve gotten. Yet eventually, I settle in, accepting that winter is here to stay. I stop focusing on my desire for more light and heat and put on my biggest sweater and the thickest socks I own.
Then, suddenly, it’s spring! Cherry blossoms, more light and the promise of summer’s heat!
For many people around the world and throughout history, spring marks a time of clearing and cleaning. Out with the old, in with the new. Some cultures connect spring cleaning to religious observances, but modern day Western history has it’s strongest roots in the pre-vacuum cleaner fact that homes sealed in the winter end up dirty from burning coal, oil and wax.
Which leaves me wondering: what is the dust and dirt and grime that’s been building up in my life all winter? Or said another way: what am I tolerating?
Tolerations are those things that you put up with, things that drain your energy. Examples include:
* The %^*#@ dripping faucet that can never be fully turned off
* The pants with the torn hem that’s now secured with a safety pin which is always catching on the back of your heels
* The 15” stack of mail that’s obscuring your desk
* Consuming too much caffeine
I bet you could sit down right now and write a long list of things you are tolerating. If you’re like me, sometimes these lists can prove overwhelming. However, my short list of tolerations above doesn’t even include those that warrant the most attention – the ones that have to do with our most authentic selves. They usually sound like:
* I don’t keep my commitments
* I’m holding onto a relationship that perpetually disappoints me
* I’ve given up on my dreams
* I avoid the sad or scary parts of myself by staying busy
* I complain a lot
* I’ve forgotten how to play
* I’m not very generous
I’ve been looking sideways at an “authentic self” toleration for months. One of my fundamental beliefs is that some of the most important work we do in life is deepening our spiritual lives, connecting to the part of us that feels eternal. Unfortunately, I’ve found myself trapped by busy-ness, uncertainty and a resistance to change. A meaningful spiritual practice eluded me.
At some point I recognized that a daily yoga practice would likely be a significant component of deepening my spiritual practice. At the very least, it would be worth trying. When I didn’t start one, it showed up on my list of tolerations. Months after its arrival there (still sans yoga practice), I wondered how long I’d keep avoiding this. It began to show up in my dreams. I felt the effects in my work, in my relationships. It began to feel a like a pot about to boil over, a flower ready to bloom, a house getting increasingly dusty through the winter months.
And then – suddenly! – I did it. Just like that.
For me, yoga is both a means to an end and an end to itself. It is a door to a deeper spiritual life and part of a deeper spiritual life. By eliminating that particular toleration, I am walking through the door and creating space for more of what I want. That’s part of the gift of eradicating tolerations. You have more room. Remarkably, they also often take care of themselves once they show up on your list.
There’s an Iranian spring cleaning expression khooneh tekouni that literally means “shaking the house.” And this spring, I invite you to shake your house, as it were, and discover the rooms and items that need cleaning. Consider and identify what “authentic self” tolerations exist for you.
Personal change often occurs in much the same way as seasonal change. On a conscious level, little is happening. There are no plans, no intentions, no goals set. You don’t feel like you’re working toward something. And then – suddenly – you are! A belief changes, an adjustment is obvious and decisions feel effortless.
Like the arrival of spring, deep, sustainable change isn’t something we can make happen whenever we want. It’s usually a semi-conscious process that unfolds over time – a week, a season, a few years. We start by shaking the house.
Personal and Professional Development Columnist, MavenMag
Winter can seem endless. It’s cold. Trees are barren, and the wind will not let up. I get antsy. I check airline prices to the Caribbean. I complain about how pale I’ve gotten. Yet eventually, I settle in, accepting that winter is here to stay. I stop focusing on my desire for more light and heat and put on my biggest sweater and the thickest socks I own.
Then, suddenly, it’s spring! Cherry blossoms, more light and the promise of summer’s heat!
For many people around the world and throughout history, spring marks a time of clearing and cleaning. Out with the old, in with the new. Some cultures connect spring cleaning to religious observances, but modern day Western history has it’s strongest roots in the pre-vacuum cleaner fact that homes sealed in the winter end up dirty from burning coal, oil and wax.
Which leaves me wondering: what is the dust and dirt and grime that’s been building up in my life all winter? Or said another way: what am I tolerating?
Tolerations are those things that you put up with, things that drain your energy. Examples include:
* The %^*#@ dripping faucet that can never be fully turned off
* The pants with the torn hem that’s now secured with a safety pin which is always catching on the back of your heels
* The 15” stack of mail that’s obscuring your desk
* Consuming too much caffeine
I bet you could sit down right now and write a long list of things you are tolerating. If you’re like me, sometimes these lists can prove overwhelming. However, my short list of tolerations above doesn’t even include those that warrant the most attention – the ones that have to do with our most authentic selves. They usually sound like:
* I don’t keep my commitments
* I’m holding onto a relationship that perpetually disappoints me
* I’ve given up on my dreams
* I avoid the sad or scary parts of myself by staying busy
* I complain a lot
* I’ve forgotten how to play
* I’m not very generous
I’ve been looking sideways at an “authentic self” toleration for months. One of my fundamental beliefs is that some of the most important work we do in life is deepening our spiritual lives, connecting to the part of us that feels eternal. Unfortunately, I’ve found myself trapped by busy-ness, uncertainty and a resistance to change. A meaningful spiritual practice eluded me.
At some point I recognized that a daily yoga practice would likely be a significant component of deepening my spiritual practice. At the very least, it would be worth trying. When I didn’t start one, it showed up on my list of tolerations. Months after its arrival there (still sans yoga practice), I wondered how long I’d keep avoiding this. It began to show up in my dreams. I felt the effects in my work, in my relationships. It began to feel a like a pot about to boil over, a flower ready to bloom, a house getting increasingly dusty through the winter months.
And then – suddenly! – I did it. Just like that.
For me, yoga is both a means to an end and an end to itself. It is a door to a deeper spiritual life and part of a deeper spiritual life. By eliminating that particular toleration, I am walking through the door and creating space for more of what I want. That’s part of the gift of eradicating tolerations. You have more room. Remarkably, they also often take care of themselves once they show up on your list.
There’s an Iranian spring cleaning expression khooneh tekouni that literally means “shaking the house.” And this spring, I invite you to shake your house, as it were, and discover the rooms and items that need cleaning. Consider and identify what “authentic self” tolerations exist for you.
Personal change often occurs in much the same way as seasonal change. On a conscious level, little is happening. There are no plans, no intentions, no goals set. You don’t feel like you’re working toward something. And then – suddenly – you are! A belief changes, an adjustment is obvious and decisions feel effortless.
Like the arrival of spring, deep, sustainable change isn’t something we can make happen whenever we want. It’s usually a semi-conscious process that unfolds over time – a week, a season, a few years. We start by shaking the house.
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