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I know we were all told the same thing growing up.
We were told that being messy is bad and cleaning up a mess is good.
We were praised for straightening out the sheets and folding our clothes.
When our bed was made, we felt accomplished.
Cleaning up can feel really good.
I have trouble sitting down and getting to work when the room I am in is messy.
Just like all of you, I prefer clean and orderly.
However, we are currently in the mess.
We are in a mess that simply cannot be fixed by straightening, organizing or scrubbing.
Trust me, lots of my clients have tried.
They have scrubbed the floors when they can’t sleep.
They have cleaned out and re-organized every closet twice.
They have swept and vacuumed over and over (I have too).
But, the messiness that we feel and that we are experiencing is still there.
This reminds me of when my kids were young.
I was overwhelmed by the mess.
The physical mess and the mess of being a single divorced mom of young kids.
I could not believe how two small people could possibly create so much mess.
A dear friend gave me the suggestion to order a poster that said, “I Embrace this Mess.”
Every time I would walk past this wise saying hanging in my foyer, I could take a deep breath.
It reminded me that the mess would always be there and the more I resisted it the more frustrated I would get.
I want to suggest that you carry this message with you through your days.
We are in a mess.
We are feeling many feelings that move through us like a roller coaster.
We feel hopeless, then grateful, then scared, and then exhausted.
We are in the mess of our feelings.
We can’t organize or push our feelings in the closet.
We can try but I promise you they will pop right out just like that roll of paper towels you tried to squeeze in the cabinet before you slammed the door.
If we do not let ourselves feel our feelings they come out sideways.
So, I want you to take the message I used when my kids were younger and try to embrace your mess.
You are a glorious being when you are in your mess.
You are real, you are strong and you are brave.
Your messiness is part of you.
Embrace it and let it be.
What is the messiest feeling or experience you had this week?
Please share. The more you share, the better you will feel.
