Grunions are small fish who appear once a
year off California beaches. It is possible to catch them in containers
they way children back East might capture fire flies in a jar. Many years ago a
friend of mine told me this story. "When I was 18 I took a girl to my high
school prom in my father's brand new Cadillac. After the prom my date wanted to
go to the beach and capture grunions. Like any dutiful 18 year old boy, I
took her and we quickly scored a bag of the tiny fish. We tucked the
treasure into the glove compartment of my father's car. There were
several stops before the night ended and you can guess what happened. The
grunions were forgotten! Within two weeks the unmistakable stench of dead fish
emanated from the glove compartment. Needless to say, my father almost
killed me!"
Now what does this have to do with your
piles of papers or your messy closet? Everything! My friend was a
therapist and used this story to illustrate the importance of dealing with our
emotional issues. "If you don't," he would say, "they'll
fester like the unseen, rotting fish and have a profound effect on your
life." Piles of messy clothes and stacks of untended papers will swirl
their chaotic energy around you like an evil spell. It will be difficult
to think clearly. You will feel mildly depressed when you're in your home
or work environment. It will be hard to work there whether your task is
washing dishes or drafting contracts.
What's behind your chaos?