Comments on: A lesson on mental clutter from the book Zen Shorts

By: Good Reads: Here We Are, This is You and Me

Good Reads: Here We Are, This is You and Me — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 08:01:09 +0000

[...] Lesson on Mental Clutter at Unclutterer is a super-helpful approach to getting things done and letting things go, especially when you live [...]

By: Elegantly Wasted » Heavy load

Elegantly Wasted » Heavy load — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:23:16 +0000

[...] – http://unclutterer.com/2010/03.....en-shorts/ [...]

By: Mrs. B

Mrs. B — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:58:08 +0000

Oh…I needed to see this. I have a tendency to carry things with me. I am fine with my family…but others..that is a different story. Thanks for the reminder.

By: Joan

Joan — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:16:05 +0000

Wow. I just receive this book as a gift and have not spent the time to read it cover to cover yet – now I will!

By: biscuitx

biscuitx — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:40:14 +0000

An excellent meditation for Lent!

By: Clutter Free Kitchen In 5 Easy Steps

Clutter Free Kitchen In 5 Easy Steps — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:35:41 +0000

[...] A lesson on mental clutter from the book Zen Shorts | Unclutterer [...]

By: joss

joss — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:12:39 +0000

I love that story -still working on actually practicing it. The other one that I love in there is the idea that you often can’t tell good luck from bad. That one has really helped me let go.

By: Cindi

Cindi — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:03:38 +0000

Great story and reminder that emotional and spiritual clutter needs to be dealt with as well as clutter in our physical environment. I love the point that we can choose what we keep in our heart and soul, but realize it takes work.

By the way – your book is wonderful and highly motivating.

By: PKitty

PKitty — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:28:24 +0000

Oooh … good story and I have not heard it before. I need to stop carrying my mother’s resentment and bitterness about moving out of the family home. She is 81 so yes it is time to go but things like this seem to get much harder with age!

By: Julie Bestry

Julie Bestry — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:32:27 +0000

Wonderful story. A few months ago, I worked with a woman who had a large pile of “tool clutter” in her entryway because her husband had left it there, and the pile had become a source of resentment. I tried the old “would you rather be happy or right?” perspective, but eventually got my point across by reminding her of the Everybody Loves Raymond episode about the emotional tug-of-war over putting away the suitcase. This lovely story is much better for the clients who (unlike me) don’t take most of their parables from Gilmore Girls, The West Wing and sitcoms. Thanks for sharing this.

By: Jackie Trahan

Jackie Trahan — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:58:42 +0000

Great story! I am having guilt that I could have done more for my parents before they passed. I think of all the things I could have done, and wish I had done more. But it is making me so unhappy. I need to let go of what I cannot do anymore, and try to learn from my mistakes.
Thanks for sending that! It was very timely.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:48:44 +0000

Ha! I was just remembering this story yesterday, but I remembered a version where the woman is lovely and the young monk is freaking out because they’re not allowed to touch women. Anyway, I carry my old boss around with me way more than is good for anyone.

By: Suzy

Suzy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:38:39 +0000

Oh gosh, a friend of mine told this story to me like a week ago! (She told me the original version Emily Horner is referring to.)
I have a hard time forgiving myself mistakes I’ve made, which makes me carry around my guilt.
I didn’t realise though the story could also be applied to dealing with clutter.

By: April

April — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:26:35 +0000

Another parable I’ve heard (via Apartment Therapy) that helps me when I’m trying to unclutter: A wanderer on a lonely road came upon a torrential river that had washed out the bridge. So he built a solid and heavy raft, which carried him safely across to the other bank. “This is a good raft,” he thought. “If there’s another river ahead, I can use it.” And he carried it for the rest of his life.

By: Dan L-J

Dan L-J — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:12:25 +0000

Yeah Stillwater! We love that book and refer to it often. As much as I bring up the story to our daughters to try to get them to “put down the load” I need to remember the lesson as well. Thanks for the reminder.