Stagnating Communication Wormhole (a.k.a. my email inbox)

I am cleaning out my inboxes.   Sometimes more figuratively than literally…but this time, we’re talking literally.

How many email accounts do you have?  How many emails are lingering in them…being ignored…waiting for you to get around to them.  Or maybe you need to take some action.  Or are waiting on someone else to respond.  Or you just can’t figure out what to call the new folder you need to create to file it under.

Let’s say you have 3 email accounts, each with 100 or more emails loitering in them.  What would it feel like to let them all go?  What kind of burden are they to you?

How bad is the feng shui you are creating with this stagnating communication wormhole?  And, most importantly, what would open up to you if you didn’t have this dragging you down?

I did it.  I got rid of every email in all my inboxes.  Work, spam account, patchworkumbrella, personal.  All cleared out.

I really don’t need a subscription to every store I’ve ever shopped at.  I just need to pick my favorites.  It took a little extra time to do this, but was well worth it to hopefully not receive any more junk than I need.  And now I can spend all that time I was skimming and deleting those emails on actually reading the store sites I want to visit.

But, while I’m on the subject, don’t make it hard for people to unsubscribe.  Seriously.  Let us go.  If you don’t annoy us, maybe we’ll be back.  Wouldn’t hurt to throw us a 50% off too.  Just sayin’.

Other bonuses:

• I found an evite to a 3 year old’s birthday party.
• An invite to join a Race for the Cure team.
• I got to “spam” some political candidates that I’ve never heard of.  Wham.  Take that.  Spam.
• Read all those e-zines I never get to but always save for some spare moment that never comes.
• I created a “My Email from Oprah” folder to hold the one email Oprah sent to me.  Yes, Oprah herself sent me an email.  And I shall cherish it forever.  But not let it clog up my inbox.

Each time I deleted/moved/forwarded the last email, I felt like Tangina Barrons from Poltergeist.

This mailbox is cl-e-ar.

How do you think it feels?  Imagine it.  No unknown loose ends.  You know exactly what is expected of you.  What you are waiting on.  Who is waiting on you.  No surprises hidden in the dark.  It’s a sense of control.  You can’t control what others send to you, but you can control when you read it and when and how you respond.

I want to relish this moment...

So, take that control.  Improve your cyberspace feng shui.  Clean out your inboxes.  Maybe even delete an old account you don’t need.  Who knows.  Go nuts.

Then watch what fills up all that space you just created.  More spam and store emails for places that you don’t shop?  Nope.  You just updated your spam blocker and unsubscribed to that.  Maybe it will be all the people who are impressed with your responsiveness.  How organized and timely your reply was.

Emails from me.

My boss isn’t micromanaging me. She is offering me opportunities to practice building a trusting relationship with my superiors.

I am practicing reframing...and scowling.

1. I am not completely frustrated at work.  I am lucky enough to get to be in an environment where I can learn new coping skills.

2. My kids are not hyperactive.  They are high-energy.

3. My coworkers aren’t completely incompetent.  They are going out of their way to make me look good.

4. My bumpers aren’t dented.  They are evidence that I’m not afraid of shopping carts.  Or other cars.  Or the garage door.

5. I’m not snacking.  I am having my pre-meal.

6. I don’t hate waking up at 5 a.m. every day.  I love the night life.  {I got to boogie.}

7. This isn’t a candy bar.  This is a meal replacement.  And chocked full of peanuts.  And really satisfies.

8. I’m not a wino.  I am an enthusiast.

9. My house isn’t a pigsty.  It offers endless possibilities for improvement.

10. We didn’t just argue.  We offered each other the opportunity to see an alternate point of view.  Loudly.