In these “interesting” days where a lot is coming at us, fighting the clutter that surrounds us makes sense or we will be flooded, unable to do what we need to do for ourselves. This is a time to take inventory -- of our self and our stuff.
Yes, we all take in stuff -- and ideas. We often don’t use it all. That collection we have acquired inside and out over time is what my father referred to as our “apperceptive base.” It enables us to appreciate a joke, to keep learning and to process what comes at us. When I saw the photo above on FB, I was reminded of that “base” and that most of us have access to a mine of creative thinking.
To accomplish anything, we must call up our self-resources to be able to 1) adapt 2) motivate 3) get started 4) continue 5) finish.
Look at the photo. Without the base of knowledge that comes with having a pet, we could not appreciate that woman’s creativity. We know that the face shield she fashioned was adapted from a clear pet collar like the one we probably have somewhere in a closet or basement. If you have used that plastic dome on your pet, you understand how she put that to work to make her shopping trip safer.
We can bring that “apperceptive base” to tackle something that might be off-putting, new, foreign or difficult. Now that we are forced to live life differently, we have an opportunity to reflect, focus and act.
So, look around. See what you can do with some of the “lemons” you have collected around you. Determine what piece of the clutter you are living with you can part with, some of those fears, anxieties, resistances that are surfacing today where we can see them. Make lemonade by approaching them, coaxing them out and handling them because you have that self-knowledge base to rest on.
No shame here. And you can ask for help. You are not alone. A phone call or text is all it takes to get you back to base. We may be apart but remember we are still all in this together.
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