Meaning

A miracle is merely a change in perception

A Course in Miracles

I’m packing to move. You would think I’d have it down to a fine art by now, I’ve done it so many times. I am over it but we plough through, don’t we? We all have something of a cross to bear right now, don’t we, and we can’t assume to know what’s going on in anyone’s life. Obviously our landlord has found herself in a financial pickle despite us prioritising paying our rent. My husband even suggested we just buy this damn house (that I really don’t like) just to save us from the dreaded moving process. That is a testament to how much he loves me/doesn’t want to hear me moan about moving because it would be a bad idea to buy this house.

We’ve finally found some new digs. Renting in Australia can be an unpleasant process and I am relieved to have found a decent house at a decent price. What a lot of rigmarole though to find a place, apply, etc. It’s decidedly unpleasant for everyone.

My journalling practice fell away too over the busy weeks of August and unsurprisingly the loop of crazy started up in my head again after a few days. I really enjoyed not having that annoying mind swirl. I smugly thought all the meditation and journalling would have had more of a cumulative effect, to be honest, but then these are crazy-inducing times we’re living in.

But I’m back at my morning pages. Part of my journalling over the last few years has been using the daily lessons from A Course in Miracles. It’s available on Insight Timer now and each day I’m listening to the short (5 minutes on average) talk about each day’s lesson by teacher Miqueas Arana. I’ve started again at Day One. I don’t think I’ve ever completed the course but that’s not really the point.

Today’s lesson, Day Two, is “I have given everything I see all the meaning it has for me.” Listen to the lesson spoken by Miqueas and marinate in it. Everything I see, the clouds in the sky, the traffic on the road, the queue at the bank… Everything around us is given meaning created in our own minds.

Picture me, sitting here, surrounded by boxes and tape and little piles of stuff I haven’t quite found the right box for just yet. Everything, including the cat at my feet and the adult-child who just left to go to the gym has had meaning bestowed on it by the workings of my sometimes-loopy mind. The cat and the child may be undeniably precious beyond measure, but what about these head phones, the favourite mug, the pink slippers… I fear my precious fish tea-pot from Candidasa may be broken in the move as many things have over the many moves, over the years.

What does it matter? They’re only things.

But they’re my things…

Everyone gives everything they see their own meanings and that will be different from the meaning I give or you give. Marie Kondo says we should only keep items if they ‘Spark Joy’ in us. When I moved into this rental two years ago (already???) I was on a binge of The Minimalist podcast as I packed. I was obsessed. Half the boxes we moved didn’t make it out of the garage. Lots went to the charity shop, some went to the dump.

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful

William Morris

My next move, because yes, there will be at least one more, may be interesting. I have an plan to one day move with just our clothes, books, personal effects, and cats. I want to move into a purpose built house with purpose built furniture and there will be a place for everything and everything in its place. And everything will be useful, beautiful and meaningful.

---

As frivolous as it sounds right now, I have a bit of a dream house obsession. I mean, all my fiction stories seem to take place in old family houses. Have a look at my popular Pinterest board aptly titled D R E A M H O U S E. Nothing like a bit of distraction…