What's In Your Hoard?

Today, I exposed my mind to a reality show called, Hoarding: Buried Alive.

You can probably figure it out from the title, but it's about people who can't let go of things; their houses are literally packed with random stuff with no rhyme or reason to what or why something is there.  The show also features clinical psychologists who come in and talk to the hoarders to determine the cause for their hoarding behavior.  These psychologists are extremely important because often (if not every time) this hoarding  stems from some psychological hang-up.

I imagine that many people watching this show are looking at the hoarders with judgement in their eyes; in disbelief that someone could let their homes, in some cases their lives, deteriorate to such a point.  I take a different approach.

I think these hoarders are better off than many.  If you walk into their homes, their attachment is apparent; a clear marker pointing to some other deep seated issue.  Many of us, aren't nearly so lucky.  Our hangups, our attachments only become apparent under specific conditions i.e. when we're criticized, in a relationship.  These situation based attachments are easily ignored because they don't plague us everyday, but their influence is no less powerful; both preventing us from being more balanced and living the way we are capable of living.

I'm not saying that everyone has an unhealthy attachment, but if you did, how would you know?  What would your markers be?  Are you self-reflective enough to honestly ask yourself, "What's in my hoard?"

Background Noise

Most people don't remember their flight attendants.  We ignore them until they bring the drinks and peanuts and remind us to buckle our seat belts.  The thing is that they are delivering information that could potentially save our lives and we don't even bother to listen.  That's not because we don't care, but rather that many of us have heard the information before.  They become the background noise of the airplane experience.  

My flight attendant today was the most memorable ever.  He said, and I quote, "If you don't like our service today, this plane has six exits." I couldn't stop laughing.  There after, every time he announced something I listened attentively.  He reminded me that any message, any thing that is consumed regularly loses its appeal to familiarity.  You don't have to change everything about yourself, your message, etc. but at some point you do need to shake things up a bit, even if only for a while.

Everything that lives changes and grows, why wouldn't you?