Books come together

I have to consider Audre Lorde's A Burst of Light in conjunction with two other books. No, it's really three.

It's because of the closet.

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2021/08/tidying-up-my-closet.html 

Well, that sells it short. I went through the closet because of that Twitter thread, and the medical frustration, and there is stuff I have been working on for some time anyway.

Regardless, as I was remembering Marie Kondo's techniques from the manga, I thought that I should get around to reading the regular book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

What people (at least Westerners) frequently miss about the book is that it is not about minimalism, but about enjoying the things that make you happy. The extra clothes in my closet that I didn't want to wear were making it harder for me to find clothes that I did want to wear, and stressing me out. Getting rid of them was a relief to an extent that I couldn't have predicted.

KonMari recommends starting with clothes because it is easier to know how we feel about them. That is completely logical: clothes have both a visual and tactile effect and they are also likely to get feedback, which adds an emotional energy.

The less logical -- but true -- part is that we are not commonly in the habit of making our purchasing and furnishing and wardrobe decisions based on what brings us joy. There is advertising for that.

That is not even the strongest connection to Audre Lorde.

One thing that I was very impressed with was that by listening to her instincts instead of the doctor's recommendations (and there was a lot of studying that went along with those instincts, but the inner sense is still crucial), her outcome was really pretty good. 

She lived for eight years after her diagnosis, despite her doctor scolding her hesitance and inaction. It wasn't inaction though, just different action. 

It also wasn't one doctor. She had a good rapport with the doctor who had treated her breast cancer, and being able to talk with her helped. Still, the one who could know her body best was her. After all of the expert advice, that's whom she needed to listen to.

I mentioned trying to find something I had read on stress hormones and their long-term effects.

The problem was that I was sure I had read that in The Body Keeps the Score. I knew I was going to read that again, so I didn't take notes. When I did read it again, it wasn't there. 

I recently re-read some of the other suspects, Happy Fat: Taking Up Space in a World that Wants to Shrink You by Sofie Hagen and Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight by Lindo Bacon (previously credited as Linda Bacon).

It was not in either of them, but it was good to review them anyway.

While my concern was primarily about the eosinophilia, there was that reminder of the importance of listening to what your body is telling you, and the futility of trying any other way.

How good are we at listening to our bodies? Especially if someone is authoritatively telling us we are wrong?

I could be worse; I worked on that!

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2015/01/getting-back-in-touch-with-my-body.html

That doesn't mean it never needs re-work, especially when going through major life changes. 

But the question for everyone, then, is whether you are hearing your inner wisdom. If not, what are some steps to change that?