The Magic of a Lint Roller
By Sheila Thornton Warfield
Have you ever thought of what a lint roller as a metaphor could offer…Using a lint roller to remove the build-up of lint – things, places and people – that doesn’t belong in our lives - is a powerful metaphor!
Whether remnants of fabrics, hair, dust, pet hair, pollen, you name it, lint occurs in many forms, and we must take special care to maintain our clothing (our person) in ways that allow us to show up as intended and be the best version of ourselves.
Ridding our lives and/or minimizing our exposure to the new lint, i.e. negative people, experiences that compromise us, likes, dislikes, comments, etc., is crucial to refraining from the distractions that often diminish the quality of our lives and taint how we see the world. Lint maintenance is a way of life!
To acknowledge the lint and use a lint roller to collect, and then discard of what no longer belongs, reflects self-awareness and self-care. It’s not always obvious, but in acting, we are thrusted into seeing our truth and taking the reins of our own lives. Each positive step acts as a building block for helping us to reconstruct our own stories.
Ignoring, avoiding, and delaying the action of removing lint weighs us down, distorts what we see, and impedes our ability to view ourselves without all the extra baggage (lint). We must be vigilant in removing and reducing the things, people, and choices that interfere with our ability to live the life we crave and deserve.
Freeing ourselves of the lint, regardless of form, allows us to eliminate all that’s no longer relevant and healthy - negative people and situations, bad habits, fear, guilt, anger, horrible bosses / coworkers, sensationalism, so-called friends, dysfunctional family members, and the like. It’s difficult to return to our authentic selves without clearing the layers of lint clouding our view. We need to remember who we are and reactivate our individual superpowers!
We must be careful not to take the short cut sometimes triggered by our perception that it’s easier to simply replace the thing or dare I say, person, that’s become linty and stodgy. We believe it would just take too long to remove all the buildup, so we ‘throw it all out’ or ‘move on’ without resolving.
What I’m suggesting is that we don’t have to always overhaul our lives to face the lint that exists. We just need to have the discernment to deal with it when we see it and prevent it from piling on. Address it before it begins to mount and become more work than we believe it’s worth. Waiting and avoiding are costly decisions. We need to remember that the careful and intentional curation of our lives is a worthwhile investment.
So, take out your lint roller, focus, and with courage, apply some grit and remove the things, practices and people that prevent you from absorbing and reflecting the beautiful and brilliant light we all have.
As you remember the lint refills for your roller,
Be sure to engage in positive practices that help you to renew and reconnect with who you are.
Be committed to living your values.
Embrace and love who you see in the mirror - without the lint. You’re beautiful.
In truth, no matter how often we remove lint from our lives, it always returns in various forms. So, self-maintenance and perhaps some 3M replacement squares are needed. Own this for yourself and do what’s needed for self-actualization.
Regardless of effort, you’re worth it. Show yourself some love and start rolling!
What could you use your lint roller for?
#magiclintroller #lintroller #removelint #operationbutterfly