Thursday, August 11, 2011

Hypocrite the definition and my thoughts on this....

I thank a friend for this conversation.  I also thank another friend who posted that this world would be better off with out hypocrites.  Hmmmm, so it got me thinking....

This comes from www.merriam-webster.com
: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings
 
I was thinking one time, in Christianity we are taught not to judge, after all the only one who is supposed to judge is God himself.  Jesus if you believe you go through Jesus to get to the gates of heaven.  Many other religions teach not to judge....  So when we call someone a hypocrite we are seeing them purely for their words and actions. 
 
I figure if we break down this idea of being a hypocrite, we really are viewing something entirely different.
 
We are viewing change in someone.  If I say, "I would never own a cat," and then I get a kitten, this is considered being a hypocrite.  Especially, if prior to that I stated all the reasons I hated cats.  Or if I state, "you should always live life judgement free," and then I place judgements or values on your or anything else in my life, some would call me a hypocrite, but am I really?  Seriously, are you going to say that I am a hypocrite if I do one thing and say another. 
 
So it comes down to this, defining things.  We need to define what is going on around us.  Really, what a hypocrite is saying is, "you shouldn't drink," as they down a shot of whisky, in their head they are saying, "I shouldn't drink."  I think the very act of being a hypocrite, which we all are at times, none of us are immune to this; is really growth and change or a desire for growth or change.  We all know what is right but when we do something wrong, we make excuses and blame other people, blame the dog, the cat, the kids, the dust in the house, whatever it is.  I personally like to blame cows and plants for ice cream with chocolate hot fudge, and then I can blame the waiter for allowing me to order it and bringing it to me.  ha ha
 
Seriously though, before you judge someone a hypocrite we need to stop and think why it may appear that way.  If someone says to me, "you should do x, y, z," I always say, "yes I should and so should you."  It isn't easy, it just isn't and when I counsel people, if I say something like, "everyone should meditate daily and ground themselves, it isn't easy and I admit at times I fail at this."  This is a lesson in humility, it is my way of not being a hypocrite. 

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

You ready for this....

I wanted to add to my previous post about letting things go.

I once walked into a ladies home that I was to take care of.  She had so much stuff everywhere.  She said, "my kids told me I need to get rid of this stuff because they don't want to have to throw it away."  Later that year I met her daughter, who collected dog things, stuffies, porcelain figures, etc....  I looked at her and said, "have you started getting rid of all your collectibles?" 
"No why would I do that?" her daughter asked.
"Because your kids don't want it, so they are just going to throw them away.  Wouldn't it make sense now to just sell them and put the money into college or a trust fund for them.  Or even a rainy day fund and when they get older be able to take everyone on a vacation." 
She looked at me and frowned, "I like them, I like them in my house."
"When was the last time you dusted them?  Soon, your house will look like your daughters and in 20-30-40 years your children will be coming to you to throw out your stuff."
She paused, "I never thought of it that way."
"It may be an antique and could be worth 100s of dollars but if the children don't see the value in it because they think it's ugly, when you die it might just get thrown out and your reason for saving it, 'someday it will be worth a lot of money' is now lost."

I have decorative pieces I like, I will keep them a few more years.  I will get rid of things I really haven't seen in five years that are in bins that I need to say goodbye to. 

Letting go of tangible items isn't about giving EVERYTHING up.  I mean you still want to decorate your home and have nice things up and that is fine.  In fact I encourage it, you have to make a home yours, but when there is so much stuff that you look cluttered and no one has the time to appreciate any of it, what is the point. 

If you can sell anything and create a savings account or trust fund for your kids, you should.  Trust me EVERY child will appreciate money more than....  IN fact the appreciation rate of $30 in a savings account for 30 years is probably much higher than waiting for an antique chair to be worth more money in 30 years.  Truth is, we have to let things go.

If you don't have kids and you just want to declutter, give things away as gifts.  How many times have we had friends who say, "I really like that, it's beautiful."  Give it to them.  As long as you know they will benefit from that one item.  IF they are cluttered, avoid donating to that person.  ha ha

Items are memories, items are feel good things.  When I go to estate sales I buy feel good items as I call them.  I found an antique pewter tea pot, I can't use it, I just like the look of it.  Now, from here on out, I have too many tea pots so if I get a new one I have to get rid of one.  Same thing with tea cups, etc..  It is about balance.  Finding the balance where the material items are not a representation of your happiness.

Grow that Garden!!!
Celeste

Monday, August 8, 2011

Yup it's true

Let's face it, letting go sucks.

It isn't an enjoyable process during but it is something we all benefit from in the end.  So here is the thing I have to say about this.....

I have prayed long and hard, begged, pleaded and got ready to take a rocket into space to get my message to the powers that be.  I NEED AN "F"ing break down here.  I would like a larger house where I can run a daycare out of.  Guess what, bammo, it was finally delivered.  Took about a year but it's okay, I understand.

So anyway, now I have to rehome my rabbit, lizard and even my disabled father.  I have to let go of personal items that I have loved.  THIS is very hard.  Though the place is double the size and will have one less person in the home, it also has the combination of many different locations going into one.  IT is time to let go.

We hold on to these tangible items because we MIGHT make something cool out of it, we MIGHT give it to someone or my favorite, we MIGHT fit into it again.  What is it that we are holding onto really?  A memory, so why can't we take a picture of the item and write down the memory and scrap book everything we loved - we don't need it any longer.  Why do we need to save everything to make something out of it someday?  We all need to just let go, because these items are really nothing in the spiritual growth in life.  Our Gardens do not need a 1000 gnomes, all they do is distract from the beauty of what we are trying to make and create with in our garden, with in ourselves.

It is time for me to start letting stuff go.  So as I do, keep your eyes and ears out for your chance to benefit from my shedding of things.  Like my pet rabbit and lizard, are looking for good homes.  Donation requested and references preferred.  Oh and remember, the universe is listening and in order to benefit from what it's saying you often have to be prepared to let go of part of your life to move forward.