Trap of Stuff

Stuff.  I got me a lot of stuff. Stuff takes up space, before that it cost me money to acquire and accumulate it all. I consider myself somewhat of a minimalist because I am not fond of clutter or extraneous take up space items and yet, I have to laugh at calling myself this when I look in my closet and drawers at all of the clothes I have.  I like to look good and so, I am perfectly content with some of my money being invested, see my grin as I write this, in fabulous look at me clothes.  What I am discovering is that the big house that I live in is a holder of so much stuff that my money is really just going toward the payment and maintenance of a huge storage unit!  The pride of ownership is turning into a mouse trap~or perhaps the rat race of life is buy as big as you can almost afford and work until all you do is work in order to pay for what you thought you wanted.  The money monster trap would like you and I to believe that the house and the stuff in it is the stuff of life and I must slowly shake my head and say no, money monster, no it isn't so.  When I drive through my neighbourhood I see row upon row of pretty houses, with pretty people, living pretty lives~I'd like to think most of them have chosen exactly what they have.  Maybe they have and perhaps not, what I do know is stuff doesn't make me happy and no lying money monster can trap me and convince me otherwise.

Monopoly

Monopoly.  Which monopoly piece are you?  How about the properties, which property have you been relegated to?  In the game Monopoly, the roll of the dice determines where you get to move on the board and in agreeing to play the game, you agree to the games rules and in the end, the clear indicator of winning the game is the person who has the greatest number of properties, houses and money.  Yesssss! I invite you to look at the first couple of questions more closely.  What if someone else has played you like a game piece and relegated you to life on a board of their creation and you have gone round and round their board and sometimes landed in jail without a get out free card because you had no clue that you were on a loop, on a loop, on a loop?  The money monster monopoly does just that, he monopolizes time, energy, money on things that keep you in jail, on a loop, choiceless and trapped with the offerings of the board creator...don't ask for permission to do something differently, listen to your own creative voice and choose.  If you feel stuck, ask who's life is it anyway and when you decide it's yours, what will you do to get out of the loop?

I AM

There is a pervasive money monster that whispers you are not enough, it's (whatever it may be) is not enough.  This monster has it's victim by the heart, squeezing and twisting and convinced that when reality is checked by comparing oneself to others, the message is clear, I AM NOT ENOUGH. Speaking these words are painful utterances, they belie years of feeling inadequate no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the evidence of success and no matter what truths others might speak to the victim of this vicious monster. In a world gone mad with accomplishments and accolades for the ultra successful (read wealthy here), this monster of you are not enough holds particular sway, at least until it, the monster that is, is exposed mid whisper~herein lies the opportunity for the maligned victim of this customary assault to say I AM...you fill in your own statement, declaring what YOU ARE, rather than what the monster wants you to believe.  I heard a great line today that goes something like "I don't deal with untruths"...make of this what you will, I for one, kinda like it.