Have you ever felt that you have died and then are re-birthed?
I experienced the duality of two feelings at its peak last weekend.
I have had my belongings in storage for the past six years in Austin, Texas.
Last weekend, I travelled to Texas, with help of my son, to totally empty the storage in Austin.
Several days before my trip to Texas, I felt sad! I knew I had to get rid of items that had memories attached to them, some of them for decades.
I felt that part of me was dying! After all, who am I without my belongings, books, and work memories?
At the same time, I have not used what I have stored in the storage for at least six years and it seemed silly to be upset about letting them go.
The day that I was emptying the storage, it felt like Shervin had died and I was deciding what to keep and what to give away.
It reminded me of the time, I was deciding what to keep when my father passed away.
I decided anything that does not bring me joy and is a burden, it needed to go!
The hardest thing for me was over 600 books that I decided to sell or give away! I convinced myself that people can enjoy the books if they are not kept in storage.
Then it became easier to get rid of racquetball trophies, toastmaster ribbons, carpets and many work related items.
Although all the trophies and ribbons were the right thing at the time for my journey, they had now served their purpose.
After two days, the entire storage was emptied.
I felt a sense of relief and accomplishment! I felt free and alive!
I was not burdened by things of the past anymore!
I no longer had any items to display my accomplishments, but I had my smile and feeling of being content, which does not require any physical storage and can be shared with others freely.
On the way back, on the plane while feeling my sore muscles, I pondered, “What are beliefs, habits, activities or relationships that are no longer serving me, are a burden and I need to consider letting go?”
Copyright .2021 by Shervin Hojat
But much has accumulated since then. My partner just said the other day… "Why don't you throw out all of those old (small) boxes."
The reason I haven't thrown them out is they are my original work for presentations and articles that were not on the Internet and may no longer be in libraries. If I have time, I perhaps should post them here, because they are part of my legacy. My brother has already told me to "start selling" because he, as my executor, will not be able to take the time to sell or give away all of this that I can while I still can. Hopefully, with him only keeping the very best.
Ron