#99: Untangling Yarn.

Untangling yarn. Have you ever tried to untangle a wad of yarn made up of several unraveled skeins?

The process is instructive.

Let’s choose one thread/color to represent our proverbial house (or business) and the act of freeing it represents our goal of creating order therein.

The first step in the process is to recognize that there are intertwined forces creating disorder (e.g., clutter, chaos, confusion) in our midst. And we should begin an exploration of those threads by choosing one and following (observing) it until there is resistance. Then gently create space—part the threads away from each other as if parting branches to peek through a bush.

Space at the resistance.

Space is key. It means to bring keen awareness to our struggles—observe them consciously in the moment for a time instead of continuing in our usual state of reactive oblivion. We create space between ourselves and the situation as if we are watching a movie of our own lives.

We start to see the situation more clearly and then gain a better sense of which way to go next.

Which thread needs observation now? Which bond (relationship or belief or habit or emotion) needs to be released?

What is surprising is that the last color to be untangled is often the most tightly intertwined. The most resistant and insidious. The strongest force holding us back.

My guess is that this force is related to fear or belief.

When there are only two left to tango, there are no other threads to distract, to blame. Things are clear. There are only two ways to go—become more bound or step closer and closer toward our vision.

All of this comes down to taking responsibility for the direction of our lives. It is a process with work and difficult choices but the end result is satisfying.