Doughnuts...

Doughnuts... For some reason, the Special K commercial with the adorable little girl selling doughnuts door to door, makes me want to have a doughnut instead of the Special K product. So far, I have been able to resist indulging in the tasty treat but I have not been able to resist the temptation of comparing a doughnut to clutter. I hope I can effectively translate my thoughts into words and since there is no "try" only "do", I am doing. I think of the typical fried doughnut with white sugary frosting and brightly colored sprinkles topping a cake-like ring full of processed complex carbohydrates, fat and sugar. Yum! Yes, that's what I want. Just like when I'm chilling out in front of the TV or reading a magazine, the latest and greatest, newest "toy" suddenly appears, the luxury car, the coolest yoga clothes, a home makeover. Yes, that's what I want. But, what is "it" that I really want? Is my true fulfillment, a peace, a happiness actually in the hole of the doughnut, in the clear space on the wall or on the shelf? Is the reward of a doughnut less than the reward of the hole? Do I bring myself more angst when eating foods that don't fit in my diet, more angst when making purchase that don't fit into my budget? Do I think "Yum! That thing or food will bring me happiness" when in fact, what brings me true happiness or sense of peace is the hole or space in the middle? The place where there is no empty calories, no clutter, no unnecessary stuff, the space where there is just "me" or "us" or "you"? Yes, I resist the doughnut and focus on the hole, the “me”, I don’t need to eat the doughnut to get to the happiness I seek. I resist the lure of toys because they will not bring me the long term peace I seek. So in the end, the value of empty space is more than the value of full space. (Posts like this come about when you grow up with a mom that hands you a piece of Swiss cheese and tells you not to eat the holes.)