As you regular blog readers know, I’ve been living into a commitment to “carry only the essentials”, inspired by pilgrims, who must carry only what is absolutely essential.
In non-pilgrim terms, I am going through my Stuff. I’m taking each and every item that I own in my hands and discerning whether it is still a fit for me, or whether it is time to release it. Many of you don’t need to do this, because you have diligently kept up with this shedding as an ongoing practice.
For the most part, this has been an energizing and renewing journey of release.
This week, I am bored out of my mind with it.
And, I’m completely overwhelmed by how much I still have to do.
I’ve been tending to this project for a few weeks now, and there have been a few times when I have hit the boredom/overwhelm wall. For example, I find picking up each piece of paper in my house mind-numbingly boring.
In these moments, it has helped me to remember that not only have I committed to this project, I have also committed to being a pilgrim.
When I see the project from the perspective that “I am a pilgrim”, of course I only carry the essentials.
When I see myself and my life from the perspective that “I am a pilgrim”, I can feel the strength of a commitment that I have made to myself, to come to my life in a certain way.
As I’ve mentioned many times before, pilgrims get up in the morning and walk, whether they feel like it or not. And they do it pretty much regardless of the circumstances that they are encountering (except when they sustain a serious injury or illness).
This inspires me to keep going in the face of boredom and overwhelm.
I’m bored. So what? Just keep walking, one step at a time.
I’m overwhelmed. Pilgrims get overwhelmed all the time (just think about the prospect of walking 480 miles), and they just get back to the practice of putting one step in front of the other.
And, generally, I only get overwhelmed when I arbitrarily impose a schedule on how fast I complete the project. I need to remember that it will take the time it takes, and remember why I am doing it.
A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an overwhelmed soul.
-Lysa Terkeurst
How do you want to be with boredom or overwhelm?
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