Oops - Forgot to take out the Trash

Last night we had heavy rain and thunderstorms. It was also garbage night. Since the weather was not conducive to hauling the garbage cans down the driveway, we forgot until this morning. I should add that my husband is almost always the one to take the trash out to the curb. I'm typically the one who rounds it up from the various locations inside the house, but I rarely if ever, take it down the driveway and to the curb. That may be more than a coincidence.

This past Sunday I watched the movie "Peaceful Warrior" while riding my bike indoors on the trainer. The movie is similar to "Karate Kid" in that there is a student and a master. The master is there to teach the student what he needs to learn about himself and the pursuit of his goals.

One of the things Socrates (the master) talks about is the importance of "taking out the trash". The trash refers to the junk that clutters up our minds and gets in our way of moving forward. Typically trash comes from thinking either about the past (previous failures, experiences, voices of other people) or the future (what if...). Worry is rooted in thinking about the past or the future. Taking out the trash allows us to be fully present in this moment - now.

Before I began my pool workout today, I decided to take out the trash first. I let go of my self-limiting perceptions of my swim ability, the awareness that my technical skills are not quite there yet.... I let go of the worry about the future - the next 60 minutes or so of future (how would I ever manage to get through those 10 repeat 50 yds @ VO2 max pace, how would I recover enough to then tackle the 5 repeat 100's and the 400 yds of kicking) and the future of tomorrow, the next few months (will I ever become a skilled swimmer?).

I just started swimming. Every time the trash would start to enter my mind, I would take it out and set it on the pool deck. After all, I could always pick it up again after my workout if I really wanted to.

Not taking out the trash gets in my way. There isn't a sanitation collection service to come and take out my trash for me. I have to be aware it is piling up and then haul it out to the curb myself.

Now if I can just remember....