I heard this phrase today, and it struck a chord with me. This is what we need; emotional clarity.
Why do we not clean up when we know we should? Is it the papers or the "stuff?" No! It's our emotions. We know what we want to do, but our emotions won't let us do it.
Why do we not tackle the project that we know will enhance our lives? Is it the actual work? No. It's our emotions.
Why do we sit and sulk and not do what we are supposed to do? Is it the task? No. It's our emotions. We do not have emotional clarity.
Confucius
said, "the key to ALL unhappiness is comparison." Are we comparing ourselves to others? Or even to our other selves in past times? ("When I was young I was never disorganized," etc.)
Maybe we are afraid. Afraid we will fail at the task, or afraid that once we succeed, we will fail at the next level. ("What will I do if everything is already done? Will I be bored? Who will my friends be if my house is more normal? What will we talk about, if not my chaos?") And we know all along that the only thing that conquers fear is action.
No matter how emotional you are... whether you are happy or sad, whether you are thinking about all of the work you are not doing, or thinking about how things will be when you are done... emotions alone will not clear up our clutter. We need our emotions in check so that we can take the first step. Emotional clarity will help us to start moving forward, and will keep us on the path to organization.
Marsha Sims
