I have seen TV shows about lives and homes of Compulsive Hoarders. I can't help but feel shocked, confused, appalled and amazed seeing the cramped, unsanitary, and hazardous living conditions that has deprived these people from having a normal life. And we can't help but ask:"Why? Why hold on to so many things?"
By definition, Hoarders display characteristics or aspects of an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, where there is a presence of a strong impulse to acquire, keep and refuse to discard material possessions that are, in a Hoarder's view, "valuable" but in reality are of no use or benefit whatsoever. Some sources or studies claim that the disorder arises from several factors, one of which describes the behavior as an attempt to fill in an "inner void" from a loss, say a death of a loved one, which then triggers a defense mechanism by accumulating relevant objects in place of that loss or void.
And thinking about it, if these people have allowed their physical conditions and state of living to be complicated by these unnecessary baggages or junk, what about our minds and our hearts? How complicated, how cramped and how suffocating it might be if we allow ourselves to hoard unnecessary thoughts, ideas, anxieties and fear?
Imagine ourselves as houses. Our bodies after all are "temples" and we are given the privilege, the gift to make use of our "temples", our inner "homes" and the choice remains with us on what we consider as valuable to keep.
What would you consider as valuable? What would you consider as worth keeping?
For others, they have chosen to hoard inside their hearts and minds so many internal struggles: frustrations, disappointments, broken dreams, failures, negative feedbacks, self-worthlessness, rejection, and fears. And imagine all these pile up inside... how hard it must be to carry them. How difficult it must be to see the light of hope and reason when we allow ourselves to be hidden and obscured by these hurts and pains. How impossible it must be to have a decent peace of mind when the shadows created by these inner "baggages" have caused more irrational fears and anxieties, turning the poor soul into a worrisome mess.
And what's frightening, disturbing and pitiful... is when a person begins to be attached to these worries, these wearisome thoughts about all else negative, and they refuse to let it go. As worries add up, will there be enough space left for life to grow, for love to beat, for hope to shine its light, for happiness to breed, and for a miracle to be a reality?
And thinking about it, if these people have allowed their physical conditions and state of living to be complicated by these unnecessary baggages or junk, what about our minds and our hearts? How complicated, how cramped and how suffocating it might be if we allow ourselves to hoard unnecessary thoughts, ideas, anxieties and fear?
Imagine ourselves as houses. Our bodies after all are "temples" and we are given the privilege, the gift to make use of our "temples", our inner "homes" and the choice remains with us on what we consider as valuable to keep.
What would you consider as valuable? What would you consider as worth keeping?
For others, they have chosen to hoard inside their hearts and minds so many internal struggles: frustrations, disappointments, broken dreams, failures, negative feedbacks, self-worthlessness, rejection, and fears. And imagine all these pile up inside... how hard it must be to carry them. How difficult it must be to see the light of hope and reason when we allow ourselves to be hidden and obscured by these hurts and pains. How impossible it must be to have a decent peace of mind when the shadows created by these inner "baggages" have caused more irrational fears and anxieties, turning the poor soul into a worrisome mess.
And what's frightening, disturbing and pitiful... is when a person begins to be attached to these worries, these wearisome thoughts about all else negative, and they refuse to let it go. As worries add up, will there be enough space left for life to grow, for love to beat, for hope to shine its light, for happiness to breed, and for a miracle to be a reality?
It all begins with a choice. A choice that really matters wherein a person realizes that he or she matters. A choice that sets the course of change and surrender, when a person looks at himself and looks at everything else he has held on tightly. A choice that makes a person realize what he deserves, what he really desires, and what he realizes after living the effects of previous mistakes. A choice that will make a person ask himself and define what he ought to consider as "valuable".
And when we choose to accept what truly is valuable, the kind that we need in order to benefit ourselves, strengthen our beliefs, renew our courage, uplift us from our weariness and sadness, reveal the beauty awaiting, and feed the flame of hope, then and only then can we accept the move of letting go.
Let go... Let go of the worries and the pains. Let go of the fears and the haunting phantoms of the past. Let go of the anger and the hatred. Let go of the disappointments and the regrets. Let go of the guilt and the self-pity. Let go of the lies and the misguided beliefs.
Let go... and let God come in. Let God enter and allow Him the space He deserves in your heart and in your mind. Let God find His way and make His way your way. Let God clear out all else that needs to be thrown out and let God teach you more what to keep and what to treasure. Let God be your treasure that He may find a place in you and fill it not with darkness of your past, but with the light of the future's promise. Let God live and find a place in you, so you too may live and find you place in this life.
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