Marie Kondo-ing my way into radical gratitude

Some years ago the hottest thing on Netflix was Tidying up with Marie Kondo. For those who missed this beauty, it was a cleaning show in which this superhuman bordering on alienesque woman visited people’s places and told them how to clean it up. I think I watched the show more in fascination with this woman of such exaggerated feminine traits than any genuine interest in the show, but she did one thing I really, really liked.

In her method of how to get rid of “all the things you forgot that you have but think you might need at some point” she adds an element of gratitude. For each individual item that we get rid of, we should devote a moment to thank it for the time it spent with us and acknowledge the lessons we learned from it. And I can’t stress how much I looooved that. I doubt that the object cares, but it does something rather powerful to us. Not only do we get closure from objects that weight on our souls, but we learn to appreciate what we have and hopefully think twice about what we collect in the future.

Now, some time ago, I was put into the context of a person who I really don’t like and while I am ashamed to admit it, it seems like I am almost taking pleasure in disliking – if you know what I mean… It is by no means a bad person, it is simply a case of incompatibly. Simply put, s/he triggers me in a way that I honestly can’t cope with.

I’m not gonna lie. It has been bothering me that due to shared friends I have been repeatedly in this individual’s circle and I have considered leaving this context as I can’t seem to enjoy myself in this setting. Naturally, I am more than aware that it is my own personal limitation that is at fault here, but I can’t seem to look past my own emotional reaction to his/her behaviour.

However, then during yesterday evening’s rewind/meditation, I had an interesting insight. I realised how grateful I should be about it. Let’s face it, how rare isn’t it to really dislike someone? I can’t even name a handful of people that really bugged me like this (although I am sure there are plenty more that I not-quite Marie-Kondo:ed away from my life and can’t think of right now). Yet there I was sitting in sort of a frustrated epiphany: that I should be grateful for my intense irritation.

It stroke me as the universe had sent me a lesson where I have the opportunity to learn something very valuable about myself and how I want to be perceived and treat other people. Traditionally I have not always been the smoothest person. I can be forceful and socially intense in a way that I know a lot of people can’t handle and, for certain, I have numerous times been that individual that other people could not stand. While I can’t do anything about the past, the future is mine to shape, and it is my deepest desire to apply a radical level of gratitude to all the things, people and situations that come into my life, disregarding if they are subjectively good or bad. That said, eventually, everything obviously either sparks joy and I keep it in my life, or it doesn’t and I will Marie-Kondo it away from my life, nevertheless, remain grateful for the lessons I’ve learned.

One of my favourite sayings is that life will send you the same lesson over and over until you’ve learnt it. I wonder if this is the time when I have learnt this particular lesson.

2 thoughts on “Marie Kondo-ing my way into radical gratitude”

  1. I am a work in progress as well. Left to my own, I wouldn’t even know how much there is to go!!!😇

    1. Haha, I think life is a consistent work in progress. I have a feeling this is the meaning of life! 😛
      But also, don’t underestimate yourself! All (good) change comes from a conscious decision from the inside, not from other people’s influence. 🙂

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