I was looking to write a post on clearing, since I was clearing my office, and I found an article about the Mobius strip by Parker J. Palmer, that I
thought enough about at the time to rip out of the magazine and hold on to the perspective.
The article asks questions related to what we are putting “out there” and what we are letting “in here.” When I was clearing all the extra paper out of my office, it was a metaphor, for me, to what I am allowing to enter my space–my head and my office.
Mr. Palmer has the reader cut a strip of paper from a piece of paper for a visual reference. One side of the paper represents your outer affect–your image, influence and impact. And the other side represents your inner life.
As we pass through to adulthood, we gradually bring the strip of paper to our eye level so that it becomes a wall. Our inner life–feelings and vulnerabilities–is protected by our outer self. We can feel that the world is a dangerous place and we hide the most fragile parts of us.
At some point, we can feel isolated from our true self–from our truth–and we integrate our outer facade with our inner yearnings.
With some soul searching, we can create a life on a Mobius strip. (Here’s where our visual aid comes in.) Holding the strip of paper with the ends in each hand, twist one end half a turn and join the two ends together.
Holding it in one hand, trace one side with your finger. What you will find that what is inside becomes what is outside. The two apparent sides keep creating each other.
The message becomes clear:
“Whatever is inside us continually flows outward to help form, or deform, the world–and whatever is outside us continually flows inward to help form, or deform, our lives. The Mobius strip is like life itself: here, ultimately, there is only one reality.”
There is no place to hide. “We are constantly engaged in a seamless exchange between whatever is “out there” and whatever is “in here,” participating in the creation of reality, for better or for worse.”
Understanding this has helped me to purge a lot more “out there” so that I can enrich and simplify what is going on “in here.”
As T.S. Eliot suggested:
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
From Your Soul’s Journey to Wholeness by Parker J. Palmer, Spirituality & Health , September/October 2004
Tags: inner work, mobius strip
