Clutter, News, and Sad Music

[JPX]

My apologies if this has been discussed here before, but I couldn't find anything relating directly to my situation. I am just now getting into IM, and I have some questions:

1. Clutterness - My apartment is very cluttered. Not dirty, but I have a lot of stuff I don't use laying around. Should I get rid of all that stuff and maintain a clearer environment around me? I work from home, so I'm seeing this stuff every hour of every day.

2. News - I am a news junkie, and of course, most news are of a negative nature (war, crime, dirty politics, etc.) Does being exposed to all that negativeness affect IM in any way?

3. Sad Music - I love sad music. Heartwrenching songs are my favorites, to the point where if I really get into a song, I can cry just listening to it -- even if I'm not feeling anything negative in my personal love life.

Could that also be a negative for IM?

I appreciate your answers.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by JPX

2. News - I am a news junkie, and of course, most news are of a negative nature (war, crime, dirty politics, etc.) Does being exposed to all that negativeness affect IM in any way?

Yes, because you believe it's real.

3. Sad Music - I love sad music. Heartwrenching songs are my favorites, to the point where if I really get into a song, I can cry just listening to it -- even if I'm not feeling anything negative in my personal love life.

Could that also be a negative for IM?

No, because you don't believe it's real.

[renie408]

Originally Posted by JPX

My apologies if this has been discussed here before, but I couldn't find anything relating directly to my situation. I am just now getting into IM, and I have some questions:

1. Clutterness - My apartment is very cluttered. Not dirty, but I have a lot of stuff I don't use laying around. Should I get rid of all that stuff and maintain a clearer environment around me? I work from home, so I'm seeing this stuff every hour of every day.

2. News - I am a news junkie, and of course, most news are of a negative nature (war, crime, dirty politics, etc.) Does being exposed to all that negativeness affect IM in any way?

3. Sad Music - I love sad music. Heartwrenching songs are my favorites, to the point where if I really get into a song, I can cry just listening to it -- even if I'm not feeling anything negative in my personal love life.

Could that also be a negative for IM?

I appreciate your answers.

1) Abraham/Hicks has a technique called "Clearing Clutter for Clarity" that you might find useful. It is the Processes section of their Ask and It Is Given book.

2) You might want to take a break until you have lifted your vibration and changed your outlook. I have also been a news junkie, especially politics. I used to be a member of several political debate boards and lived with CNN on in the background all day. I have sworn off all such input for awhile. I am not completely out of touch with the world. I skim the news first thing in the morning, but from then on, I try not to invest in it too heavily.

3) I would stay away from anything heartwrenching for awhile, also. I have noticed that my taste in music has changed. I used to listen to a lot of angry, disenfranchised alternative music and it just doesn't appeal to me right now. In fact, my current favorite song is 'Unwritten' by Natasha Bedingfield! My fifteen year old son now thinks I am a sell out.

[cylon]

Wow, this is so much how I was, not even a few months ago.

Clutter-- it was tough, but I threw a BUNCH of stuff away, and got rid of many books I was attached to, built some cabinets and a bookshelf to better organize the stuff I actually WANTED to keep (because it means something, not just because I paid for it and therefore should hold onto it) and now, more or less, the clutter is gone, and I've got more space. Much nicer.

News-- give it up. Would you rather spend the rest of your life in misery or spend the rest of your life living to the fullest? The best way to do the former is to be a news junkie. Because, there is bad stuff in the world. We know this, but we feel it's important to keep reminding ourselves of this fact. I was a news junkie for years. I gave it up this last election cyle. I am so much better off without it. It was, talk radio in the car on the way to work, news websites at work/breaks, talk radio on the way home, political talkshows/screaming matches on the evenings, mixed in with some online debating with people who will never agree with me and vice versa, and all the sunday news talk shows. That's a great way to get all the negativity bases covered. Did this for YEARS.

Gave it up. I don't miss it. One bit. I don't feel stupid. Or uninformed. I check the headlines online every day, and that's enough. I have a general idea of what's going on in the world and that's good enough for me. Life has crap in it. Being aware of it, doesn't take it away. It puts your focus on it, and thus it expands in your life. My political beliefs, are what they are. I vote. But, it doesn't matter to me anymore. I have no need to debate politics. No need for negativity. I prefer the change.

Sad songs... same here. All sad songs. All. Sad. Songs. I save my playlists on my iPod... a few months ago I was having a very difficult time. Lately things are better. I looked at my playlist from a few months ago. It's not much wonder I was struggling and in pain. I was reinforcing those feelings by all the sad music I was listening to. Despair, heartbreak, pain, negativity. Sometimes it's good because it helps you release, you're not alone, etc. But at other times, when you're probably feeling ok, by listening to this stuff, you are again inviting negative, sad feelings... when you weren't even feeling that bad to begin with!

My current playlists? Maybe a few of those songs. I've spent my whole life obsessed with melancholy music, it's not just going to go away, but I don't really feel the need to listen to it much anymore. I mix it up. Faster, more upbeat, inspirational music, makes me feel GOOD now. Because it's more in line with the way I'm feeling. Sad music makes you feel better, when you're feeling sad and need some validation.

I don't miss the sad music that I spent my entire life falling in love with. It's still there. I can play it whenever I want. Just like I can watch the news and screaming matches (debates) whenever I want. Option always there. It's just that now, I.... don't. Not my first impulse anymore. Things that make me feel good, I am more likely to gravitate towards. The things that are negative/sad, they are a part of me, but just not in my immediate awareness. I think it's called changing.

I know it's a long response, but your post could have been me, word for word, not too long ago. I went through the same questioning. You're posting, so obviously something's nudging you try some new things. I did it, I gave it a shot, and I feel better now than at any other point in my life, simply by focusing on things that feel better and letting the bad stuff, take care of itself, somewhere out of my immediate consciousness.

Whew.

[JPX]

Wow. Thank you so much for sharing. I'm glad I'm not the only that's been through this train of thought. Taking these steps towards change might be a challenge at first, but I'm sure it will all be for improvement.

[Reyv]

Originally Posted by JPX

3. Sad Music - I love sad music. Heartwrenching songs are my favorites, to the point where if I really get into a song, I can cry just listening to it -- even if I'm not feeling anything negative in my personal love life.

Could that also be a negative for IM?

I'm going to echo Acting Like Godot's comment, and say that sad music does not take you down unless you see truth in it.

To be honest, I've never really used sad music as a form of relief, so I just have no problem with this. I can thorougly enjoy its "musicality", but the lyrics simply have no hold over me. If anything, I'll be sad at the sort of disempowering drivel people actually choose to believe.

To generalize this a bit, I'd say that the only thing that can ever take you down is that which you choose to accept as true. If, let's say, the thought "I am weak" were to spring into my consciousness, I'd laugh at how false the very notion is, and ignore it entirely. I see myself as having unlimited power. If, however, I were to accept that false thought as being true, I would probably spiral down with negative emotion.

The point here was that the only modifier is whether you see something as true or false. Everyone has unlimited power. Some people choose to believe that's true (because it is ), and they experience corresponding positive emotion at the thought, while some people choose to believe the opposite is true, and they experience corresponding negative emotion.

[renie408]

Originally Posted by cylon

Sad songs... same here. All sad songs. All. Sad. Songs. I save my playlists on my iPod... a few months ago I was having a very difficult time. Lately things are better. I looked at my playlist from a few months ago. It's not much wonder I was struggling and in pain. I was reinforcing those feelings by all the sad music I was listening to. Despair, heartbreak, pain, negativity. Sometimes it's good because it helps you release, you're not alone, etc. But at other times, when you're probably feeling ok, by listening to this stuff, you are again inviting negative, sad feelings... when you weren't even feeling that bad to begin with!

My current playlists? Maybe a few of those songs. I've spent my whole life obsessed with melancholy music, it's not just going to go away, but I don't really feel the need to listen to it much anymore. I mix it up. Faster, more upbeat, inspirational music, makes me feel GOOD now. Because it's more in line with the way I'm feeling. Sad music makes you feel better, when you're feeling sad and need some validation.

I don't miss the sad music that I spent my entire life falling in love with. It's still there. I can play it whenever I want. Just like I can watch the news and screaming matches (debates) whenever I want. Option always there. It's just that now, I.... don't. Not my first impulse anymore. Things that make me feel good, I am more likely to gravitate towards. The things that are negative/sad, they are a part of me, but just not in my immediate awareness. I think it's called changing.

This is my experience exactly. When I look at the music that I was playing over and over directly into my head through my iPod three months ago, it was all angry and angst ridden. I didn't initially intentionally stop listening to it, I just found it less attractive. I have a few old favorites on the playlist I am listening to most these days, but mostly the songs are upbeat and, well, downright perky. If anybody had told me in the middle of December that I would EVER use the word 'perky' in reference to anything to do with me, I would have gagged. Now, I kind of like being perky!

[Jm4362]

The above posters have already covered most of this, but I want to emphasize. Clutter. Is. Bad.

My mom's house is very cluttered and I can tell that it distracts her all the time. I didn't realize how distracted I was by it until I moved out (I'm in a college dorm now and in control of my own space--very empowering!). So, only keep what is important and you will have a clearer mind. (For me, I don't even have a need to keep "sentimental" objects because I can remember good times without looking at a thing.)

That's my 2 cents.

~Jm4362