Are You a Mental Hoarder?

English: Photo of the living room of a compuls...
English: Photo of the living room of a compulsive hoarder (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I saw a promo picture for of those hoarding shows the other day. It showed a woman surrounded by an impossible pile of stuff, trying to look strong, yet you could see the struggle on her face. I did not watch the show, but I gather that she acquired and held onto these items out of fear, that she sees the piles of clothes of objects as some sort of talisman against the evils and discomforts of the world. This may have worked for awhile, but eventually, as the stuff accumulated, so did its power. It now has her trapped, stuck, buried under the weight of that which she refused to let go of.

We see these shows or read these stories and wonder how they let it get so bad. Don’t they realize that the accumulations are smothering them? Don’t they know that many of those items are worthless? Don’t they see the freedom that comes from release. No, they don’t. They are wrapped in a security blanket of stuff that tightens around them like a serpent whispering platitudes into fearful ears.

We see these shows or read these stories and proudly declare that it could never happen to us. We would recognize that slippery slope and halt the accumulation before it grew to epic proportions. What we often fail to realize, however, is that we are guilty of the same behavior within our minds. You may not be surrounded by the tangibles of your past, but can you say the same for your thoughts? Do you let old hurts and pains clutter your mind? Are you buried under the weight of days gone by? Do you hold on to these memories and thinking patterns because you are afraid to let them go?

If you realize that outdated thoughts are cluttering your mind, read my post on Taking Out the Mental Trash to learn how you can begin to release the unneeded clutter so that you can breathe again without the weight of the past holding you down.

Thank you for sharing!

9 thoughts on “Are You a Mental Hoarder?

  1. Moments with Millie – Gerton, North Carolina – I write from the inspiration of the Divine in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. It's hard not to be inspired by nature and her beauty. It's impossible not to notice the love that's right in front of us each day. I write because I must. It has become a direct channel from Spirit. I thank you for stopping by and joining me in these words.
    momentswithmillie says:

    This is amazing! I love it!

  2. reocochran – I am experiencing crazy and hapless adventures in dating that may interest people over fifty. I am now 65 this year (2017) and enjoy taking photographs, incorporating stories or poetry on my blog. I have many old posts which are informative and written like essays. I have several love stories collected from family and friends. Even strangers spill their stories, since I am a grown version of the girl next door. I have been trying to live a healthy lifestyle with better food selections and active hiking and walking. I have written four children's books and illustrated them. They are not published but a battered women's shelter used one about neglect and abuse for their children's program and a 4H group used my "Kissing a Bunny is like saying a Prayer" as a coloring book. Please comment or respond so I may get a chance to know you. Sincerely, Robin
    reocochran says:

    I do tend to be a mental hoarder and carry around too many downer type thoughts.
    I am a big worrier. Wish I could release. Deep breaths and trying to think good
    memories, no bad memories. Thanks for the tips.

  3. bornbyariver – Arizona – Grief dares us to love once more -Terry Tempest Williams Learning how to thrive after loss and live a full and authentic life- http://bornbyariver.wordpress.com
    bornbyariver says:

    wonderful reminder to take care of my inner life in the same way I take care of my surroundings!

  4. I, too, am a hoarder in both the physical/material as well as the emotional/mental senses, though not as bad as the participants on the hoarding shows. I guess I will have to start working on these aspects of my life too to be fully freed of my past sadness.

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