The Space Within.

"We work with being, but non-being is what we use." Lao Tzu

This is a favorite saying of mine stated by a great philosopher. These words, spoken centuries ago, are still true today.   People work to create the tangible, but it is the intangible that is of the most value.   We spend our time trying to achieve more, to build more, and  to accumulate more but more.... is simply more. The walls which create a beautiful house does not make it a home.  A home comes from what we make of the space within.  One can create a beautiful cup, but it is the space inside of the cup which will provide the most value.

Years ago I heard my church pastor give a sermon to some teenagers.  He told a story about a couple who went on vacation but before they left they cleaned their home thoroughly, covered everything to prevent dust,  turned off the power, and left for two weeks.  When they came back they noticed this terrible smell coming from inside of their refrigerator so they waxed it to make it look beautiful yet the smell remained.  Then they decided the refrigerator needed to live in a nicer kitchen so they added new counters and cabinets. The smell was still there.  They decided the refrigerator needed a better social group so they bought all new appliances and threw a big party. Yet the smell remained.  It never occurred to them that the problem was coming from the intangible part of the appliance, the space inside, so correcting the outside  improved the appearance but did not correct the problem.

Many people spend a great amount of money improving their appearance, owning expensive items, or taking exotic trips and then become perplexed because their quality of life is not improving. Then there are people who carry emotional baggage so they put up walls to avoid whatever disturbs them  instead of dealing with the problem head on.  These  same people  pass judgement and complain endlessly about whatever issue is causing them grief because they never truly tried to work through their issues in the first place.

I think that society creates images that some people interpret as expectations that they are expected to live up to. This causes these same people to see boundaries that truly do not exist.  These boundaries are only perceived obstacles which hinder people from living their life in a way that provides true value.  I have a friend who undergoes plastic surgery at least once a year. In her attempt to remain young she has sacrificed many things she used to enjoy such as getting outdoors to enjoy the sunshine, indulging in the occasional hot fudge sundae, or traveling. She can't afford cable television but she carries a purse that cost one month's salary and spends a great deal of money on beauty treatments.  Her desire for the appearance is greater than her desire to enjoy living. As for myself, I choose quality of life.  I refuse to adjust my life to fit into  boundaries created by the expectation of society. Instead,  I would prefer to adjust these perceived boundaries to fit my life. When I am gone no one cares how many Luis Vuitton handbags I had, how much my watch cost, or how many wrinkles were on my face.  What will be remembered is the intangible part of myself that makes me who I am.  Who we are has very little to do with appearance because we are defined by the 'space within.'

Everyone will  grow old, our possessions will become outdated, and money can be gained or lost. Change is really the only constant and everyone, without exception, will experience  change as we go through life.

It is easy to become so busy taking care of the tangible part of our life that we neglect the intangible. Yet our true value comes from the intangible part of ourselves which makes up that 'non being' space.  Therefore, because life is ever changing, it is important to remain aware of what our inner self is comprised of.  I think it is important to meditate, or just take a time out to inventory who we are every now and then.  I relate this process to cleaning the refrigerator.  This is not an easy process because, as the entertainer Pink said, 'There is truth silence that we cannot hide from."  We all need to take inventory from time to time,  identify where that smell is coming from, and clean as needed. For myself, I need to remind myself to take time to evaluate my life, to stop avoiding what scares me, understand  what my personal demons are, and how to manage them.  When I do this  it is inevitable that at some point in the future I will need to repeat the process because the only constant in life is change and the 'non being' space is far too valuable to ignore.