The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency; a reverence for our past act or word, because the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loath to disappoint them. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Emerson says: “Always do what you are afraid to do.” What is ‘too scary’ to write about? Try doing it now.
(Author: Mary Jaksch)
Afraid to Do by Andrew Cairns
Moving house and getting rid of some of my junk; doing it now. A small step, may be a good preparation for a more radical move (where would have to get rid of not just some but most of junk). Keeping stuff you no longer need or seldom / never use definitely has aspects of reverence of the past or attachment / nostalgia for the past and as the quote says it's deepened by pressure from 'the eyes of others'. There is also a certain materialist mentality, where everything has a value, although this can also be positive if you attempt to re-use / re-cycle things rather than just stash them away in a cupboard / cellar. Sometimes I wish I'd been born a desert nomad or plains indian, always on the move and therefore forced to limit possessions to the strict minimum. In western / capitalist society the emphasis is on the accumulation of material wealth; the idea being the wealthier you become, the more successful / happier you should be. There is however a line of thought (which is growing in support and credibility - see my other blog http://my-sustainable-development.blogspot.com/2011/06/is-global-economy-ponzi-pyramid-scheme.html), which rejects the current global economic model (due to it's unsustainable nature) and proposes new models based on sustainable practises and new ways of measuring happiness and success (rather than just GDP, revenue, stock-value...).
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