Bootstraps & Weeding

... & other remedies for current dilemmas

The phrase “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” originated shortly before the turn of the 20th century. It’s attributed to a late-1800s physics schoolbook that contained the example question “Why can not a man lift himself by pulling up on his bootstraps?” [uselessetymology.com]

I know most of you have been struggling lately, just as I have — to manage the overwhelming flood of information over the last three months — the tsunami of wreckage around us. Adrift amid the debris created, what do we grab onto? What might hold you up, which might elude the grasp or just disintegrate? Or even pull you under?

A sister texted the other day to ask, "Do you have time for giving some advice on sanity?" I answered her later in the day, explaining that I'd been off at a protest. She said she hadn't managed to get there — that instead, she’d gone out to the garden and pulled weeds while doing a French lesson (smiley face). As the two of us chatted, we agreed that weeding is a perfect activity for the mind overwhelmed — and that the garden is a perfect metaphor for the mind — neither can thrive if overcrowded. In the case of both weedy gardens & overtaxed minds, we’re challenged to make order within disorder.

But HOW? This past week I've felt it was time for me to pull myself up by the bootstraps, as the saying goes, so I came up with a plan to inventory, thin & weed, cultivate. I’ve translated it into actions to try if you want to test my strategy, and shared some things that have — so far — helped me to maintain a modicum of sanity.

1. TALLY UP YOUR NEWS SOURCES: Make a list of what you are currently reading for information & news, as well as for inspiration. For the emails that appear regularly in your inbox, ask yourself: "Do I need/want to see this every day/week? Then consider unsubscribing to at least one — you can always re-subscribe. When I took this inventory, I realized I wasn't reading most of my 12 + subscriptions carefully or even at all, because there were so many, that just seeing them overflow my inbox was overwhelming. Delete, delete, and delete.

Other strategies: Don't follow the news minute-by-minute or hour-by-hour. Don't check the news between dinner and bedtime. DO periodically give yourself at least one whole day without the news. The daily news is not like music, love, sunshine, or laughter -- we can thrive without it!

2. SURVEY YOUR COMMITMENTS: What specific events are currently on your calendar — e.g. protests, group meetings, other efforts toward change? What roles have you assumed within a group or groups? What are your own personal daily life commitments at the moment? Do you feel overcommitted, in danger of burning out? Remember that your efforts, if spread too thin, are diluted and can become counterproductive. Fewer commitments might afford you more energy to pour into a smaller number of endeavors.

Ask yourself: Could I be more effective by tightening my focus to just a few commitments? How would it feel to narrow it down just a little?

3. REVIEW YOUR ACTIONS: This is a tricky one. It's easy to feel bad about yourself in the not- knowing-where-to-begin, in the feeling of powerlessness. Are there actions you are taking, or would like to take, to counter what distresses you? Start by simply doing what you do best, be it serving the vulnerable, testifying at the legislature, creating art/music/written work, calling your representatives, organizing and/or attending demonstrations, donating time or money to important causes, volunteering for nonprofits, writing letters, helping a neighbor out. Right now, my priorities are to be present for people close to me; to stand in solidarity with others at rallies & protests; to attend informational sessions, especially on immigration issues; and to write, write, write. Every single thing you do helps, no matter how small it may seem.

4. LINE UP REMEDIES: These are things that have helped me get to through the days without losing my mind (not completely, anyway!):

The Notepad by the bed. When you're tossing & turning, it's worth sitting up to write down all the thoughts/concerns/obsessions/worries cycling through your head — then you can lie back & let them go. It puts them on hold where they can definitely wait until morning.

The Walkabout: If you have issues with sleep, try this: As you lie wakeful in bed, draw on memory to recreate every detail of a place that's dear & familar to you — a place with special meaning to you. This might be a favorite walking path, an inspiring public building (museum, church, library), perhaps your workroom, your sanctuary space within your home, a special place in nature where you like to go. Now take a walk through that space, in your imagination. Remembering texture, color, scent — notice every detail that brings it to your mind. I like to walk through my childhood home, conjuring up the wallpaper in a given room, the feel of the stair railing under my hand, the feel of the brick hearth under bare feet, the scent of linseed oil in my father's studio, the scent of oats, horse, and hay in the barn.

The Excerpt: read from a book that has calmed, inspired, or transported you in the past. My go-to nightime reading is Clare Leighton's beautiful Where Earth Meets Sea, illustrated with her wood engravings. Next to my bed I also keep a copy of The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy (edited by John Brehm). Opening to any page of this book immediately moves my thoughts to a better place.

The Distractions: Hands-on activities not requiring too much brain & achievable while on auto-pilot. For me this might include ironing napkins or cotton handkerchiefs ... word games ... doodling with colored pencils ... chopping vegetables ... pulling the afore-mentioned weeds. Nothing earth-shaking, nothing that requires organizational thinking.

The Wisdom: When you’re at a loss & wishing for advice, ask yourself this: What could you tell someone else that might put things in perspective or offer comfort? What can you imagine your parent/grandparent/mentor or someone else you respect, offering you as advice?

The Role Model: Think of someone from the past who met adversity/daunting odds/suffering with wisdom, courage, determination. Think of all those who went before us through terrible things, but who persevered & raised others up.

The Joy: Last but definitely not least: Joy is where the heart thrives. Joy is what elevates the spirit & gives energy to action. Not only is it OK to feel joy in these times — it's essential. Even with the terrible state of the world. Even knowing of the tremendous suffering in the world. Wrap your arms around joy. Don't allow the daily barrage to crowd it out. Find it in simple things. A meditation to greet the day. Lighting candles at dinner. A meal with beloved people. Quiet reading by the fire. A cat on the lap. A song before bed. This is one category not to cut!

The Parting Thought: This is not the time to give up and become passive. It’s a time to cultivate what's precious to us & live the life we know is worth defending. This means cherishing community, nourishing our immediate environment, weeding & cultivating the gardens and all living beings in our sphere.

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… comments always inspire the writing!