Clearing out...

I spilled my cuppa over my keyboard and now my computer is crippled. This is written via my smartphone.

I am  in the midst of moving and have thrown and given away most of my furniture. 

Feels lighter after clearing alot of junk I collected over the years. Almost no possessions now and definitely no religion too!

ps. I have some posts of my past moving woes. It makes amusing reading, and now looking back, also rather educational. Click here.

Moving 3

.
My ex-landlord is feeling really edgy. He had asked me to make certain repairs to the apartment, which I did (with the help of a contractor). But as he walked through the apartment, he was checking those items which we had already ticked off previously. He is paranoid, checking everything over again. Then when he came to the shower rose, he was not happy that I replaced it myself. Man! It was a simple five minute job and he was not happy because I didn't get a plumber to do it.
.
Anyway, eventually he accepted the repairs were in good order, and went back home to write me a cheque which is my deposit for the apartment.
.
Then a few minutes, he called to say that he will pay the contractor first, then return me the remainder of the deposit money. Naturally, I disagreed as the contractor was hired by me and therefore had to be paid by me. After all, if I default on the payment, the contractor will come after me, not the landlord! I asked if he is accusing me of being deceitful and he replied that he finds it difficult to trust people these days! How sad!

.

Why is he so paranoid? Is it because he is going through a bad patch? Or is it because he knows deep down that he had manipulated the situation such that he need not extend my lease and then can rent it out on a new lease at twice the price (there is no rent protection in Singapore)? ... and that now (in his mind) I will get back at him by not paying the contractor???!!! In other words, he is now afraid of the consequences of his own deeds even to irrational proportions! But then, these fears are all his, not mine. I am free, as I have a four year track record of paying him rent without default. After some negotiations, he agreed to give me the cheque.
.
Then as I walked home, it suddenly dawn on me if I could trust that his cheque doesn't bounce! After all, this is the first time I am getting a cheque from him. I normally do not have such doubts, but since he was so paranoid, he had affected me. In short, fear is contagious. As he pre-occupied himself with fear that I may cheat him, I now fear his cheque may bounce!
.
Hmmm.... I will check that on Monday with my bank! :)

Moving 2

Having to move within three weeks without a new place to move to can be daunting, especially when you have to pack the whole place single-handedly. Where am I to bring my things to? Shall I sell the beds? It's such a waste as when I find a new place, I will have to buy everything new! Then some of the beds were supposed to get sold, but the buyer withdrew at the last minute. Shall I sort my things out and divide them accordingly so that they can be stored in three different places? However, despite all these, somehow I knew in the end it will all be alright.

.

Up to forty-eight hours before I have to move, I still did not have a place to move to. Then, at 10am on that day, I rang up an estate agent for an apartment, view it at 11am, and agree to take the place on the spot. It is a beautiful apartment in the same condominium as the old apartment is, but nicer - it is on a higher floor, it has a better view and a higher ceiling giving it the feeling of spaciousness. What more, it is at a lower rent than what the ex-landlord wanted to increase his rent for his apartment to.

.

What I learned from this episode is that it is important to trust that what we will receive will be for our highest good. To follow our trust, we must stay calm and not be distracted by anger. In this context, it could have been the anger with the ex-agent denial of having received my notice for extension or her siding with the landlord. Staying calm enabled me to have a clear mind to listen and observe, and understand that at the end it will be ok, and if it is not ok, it is not the end! :)

.

I am learning to trust that whatever is given to me, I would appreciate it, and whatever that will be taken away from me, I will accept it; and life will be peaceful. This is what Swami Kaleshwar said when he was in Singapore in November 2006.

.
Do you have that trust?

Moving

.

I'm packing and clearing all the clutter. It's so liberating! I'll do it once a week here on. Also, I have resolved to:

1. Avoid using paper and printing.

2. Stop reading paper magazines.

3. Avoid collecting name cards.

.

I will have my contact details beamed to the other parties' mobile phone and vice versa. If I do received paper namecards, I will have them scanned and digitised; then invite them to join the online business or social networking portal that I use. That way, they will also have the responsibility of updating their own records. :)

.

Save some trees... and my time too!

.

Clear my clutter, clear my mind, clear my conscience.