Dear money, part two

After we had a wonderful weekend with some dear folks, guests in our much-less-cluttered house, I started thinking again about treating money like a true friend.  (See my post of June 3.)  Here's what I came up with:

Money, to treat you like a friend...

I'd welcome you when you come for as long as you can stay.

I'd send you off with thanks and blessings.

I'd know our deep connection, even when I don't see you (for long periods!).

I'd never slam you behind your back or put down other friends you visit.

I wouldn't claim you as mine, or be jealous of your other friends. I'd even want to meet them, too.

I'd honor your freedom to move, and trust in our deep connection.

I'd know you come when you can, and know that I'll see you again.

But you don't live here.  You need to move to live.

And I'm happy to be part of your life.

The uncluttered mind

We can travel a long way and do many different things, but our deepest happiness is not born from accumulating new experiences. It is born from letting go of what is unnecessary, and knowing ourselves to be always at home. - Sharon Salzberg

Current events

Lots of other activities have slowed down (but not stopped!) my decluttering in the last couple of weeks.  D and I have been working on the garage together, where the clutter included an entire car we weren't using.  I got over my fear of the basement and will start going through that amazing collection soon.

I take scientific note of the fact that several weeks after clearing out the frightening closet in the Helpful People area of the house (a feng shui thing), I've had some great opportunities given to me by some very generous folks, most of whom are pretty new in my life.  Coincidence?  More experimentation is needed.  But who cares?  I have a clean closet AND some cool new friends.  It's all good.

Had a great little piece of reinforcement today.  A few weeks ago I took an armload of books and magazines off my shelves and brought them to my meditation group.  I told everybody to take whatever interested them and keep it or pass it around.   Today a friend told me that she was finding one of those books enormously beneficial.  I think if books can be happy, this one probably is.  It's being read and loved instead of just gathering respectful dust in my house.

So I started thinking about being not an endpoint but a way-station for stuff.  Possessions, money, ideas, energy all pass through me on their way to someone else.  I get the benefit as they go through, but so do others.

I remembered how my meditation teacher used to say of her talks, "Take what you need and set the rest aside for consideration later."  I think I may have been taking that statement too literally!  D phrased it better just now:  "Take what you need and pass on the rest."  I love that.  He also pointed out that one of the most successful people we know seems to operate that way all the time.

Keeping current, keeping in the flow.  What an adventure!