What gets the most space in your life?

(Space can mean a lot of things.)

What part is expanding?

If the fight for space is between the real You and the ego (and it always is), then as the ego (a.k.a junk pile) expands, the real You contracts.

The more junk added to your junk pile, the thicker and bigger and heavier it becomes. The more difficult it is to see past the junk, around it. The tougher it is to separate Yourself from the junk.

The more space the junk pile gets, the less space the real You gets.

Contraction leads to compression. Compression means that things are going to heat up to the point of combustion. Or compression means that things are going to get stressed and squashed until they break.

Neither outcome is ideal, if we’re talking about it happening inside of you, in your core, your innermost, the real You.

Metaphorically exploding or breaking can be the catalyst for major change in life. It might be induced by trauma or by years and years and years of “taking it” until you can’t take it anymore. Any way out of the junk pile is a way out, and that’s positive.

However, you don’t have to wait until you get to that point. You can start reclaiming all the space for the real You now.

You do that by paying attention to what gets to expand (and conversely, what is forced to contract). A good place to start is to think about your inputs and outputs.

Slowly and steadily you do more things that support the real You expanding.
Slowly and steadily you do fewer things that add junk.
Slowly and steadily you take back your life and identity.
Slowly and steadily the junk pile contracts.
Slowly and steadily, irrevocably, the real You expands.

And once you get started, there are no limits to that expansion.

(So quit adding junk to the junk pile.)

Annie Mueller is a writer, reader, seeker of growth, and transplant to Puerto Rico, where she lives with her best friend and their four children. Her crash course in self-discovery came from experiencing job loss, financial devastation, Hurricane Maria and its aftermath, and major surgery—all in less than a year. She writes about creativity, personal growth, and spirituality; runs Prolifica, a content management consultancy for small teams and solo professionals; and sends out a popular weekly newsletter about feelings and freelancing. You can find more of her work on her website.

Image courtesy of Radu Florin.

Radu Florin