Life Lessons
After college ended, I went on a yoga retreat, lived minimally and learned about topics like "detachment" and "dharma."
Going with the flow
I returned to my storage unit a month later to find a couple boxes, my car and a very different life plan. I gathered up my boxes, tossed them in my car and headed for my new life in Santa Monica.
Tests
Weeks after arriving I began noticing bumps up and down my legs that itched like crazy. I could not find the source and became a bit unglued as time went on.
Bed Bugs.
Yes, I had bed bugs. Somehow, those little devil creatures had made their way into my storage unit and no matter how much I cleaned, disinfected, slept in the bath tub (it was that bad), brought in professionals who mimicked NASA space engineers, the contamination continued.
LET IT ALL GO.
I then decided to practice detachment. The practice I had learned on my retreat. detaching from the past, the future, the stuff. I disgarded everything. All in one swoop. The most painful losses were the irreplaceable journals I'd had since high school and boxes of letters from friends over the years. The other stuff surprisingly didn't impact me as strongly.
Changes ahead.
Editing my life down was such a revelation. I felt lighter emotionally, mentally and physically. Hours seemed to increase as I was spending less time getting ready. Logic and function became my basic premise for purchases and my aesthetic became clear. Taking on a minimalistic lifestyle created such a stress free environment both internally and externally.
Less Consumption
I became a super conscious consumer. Many may have expected after losing everything, the obvious thing would be to go replace as much as possible in very little time. I did the opposite. I created space between observing something and "needing" it. Experiences became more of an investment and I found that on an emotional level the bandwidth certain things once had began to disintegrate and more meaningful connections filled my life.
Pure Paradox
The paradox of inviting flow into my life was simply that I was no longer attached to things or outcomes. I did my very best and then let it go. I adapted the mindset that what is meant for us will not pass by if we are intentional in our approach. Making assumptions or not being impeccable with our word can block that creative flow. Detachment doesn't mean not caring. Simply put, detachment means sincere effort without expectation. By being less rigid with how I thought an outcome should turn out, newfound opportunities I never would have seen began to appear! I learned so many lessons when I was stripped of my outer things. Learning to be open and receptive was definitely a gift this experience bestowed on my life.
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