A Downy metaphor
Last night I cleaned out the laundry room cabinet, only to find a really old bottle of Downy that had decided to leak and deposit blue/green waxy stuff on the shelf. Took me a while to clean it as well as throw away all sorts of products I have never used. I felt really good afterward.
So what was this bottle of Downy and other unused items doing in my laundry room? I got it from someone who didn't want to throw it away. They probably would have felt guilty for doing so; it would have been wasteful. I have never used these products and they have been wasting space in my cabinet. This person has often burdened me with their issues in such a way I became weighed down and stressed, and they were relieved. I realized with the disposal of the junk that I don't have to take their burdens. I can listen in an empathetic manner, but I do not have to carry these burdens. They are not mine to carry. I can put them out on the curb as I did the unused products and not let them take up any of my space.
So what was this bottle of Downy and other unused items doing in my laundry room? I got it from someone who didn't want to throw it away. They probably would have felt guilty for doing so; it would have been wasteful. I have never used these products and they have been wasting space in my cabinet. This person has often burdened me with their issues in such a way I became weighed down and stressed, and they were relieved. I realized with the disposal of the junk that I don't have to take their burdens. I can listen in an empathetic manner, but I do not have to carry these burdens. They are not mine to carry. I can put them out on the curb as I did the unused products and not let them take up any of my space.