My desk at work and the workspace around me has gotten out of control. My colleagues and I have clearly become complacent about the environment in which we work. The piles of paper, the empty boxes and the office supplies strewn about became commonplace. While I like to pride myself on being an organized person, I had regressed. This afternoon, with some inspiration and motivation, we worked together to tidy and reorganize our office by shifting furniture, throwing things out and storing items not immediately needed. Within moments, our space was less cluttered and had a fresh, new look.
Mussar teaches us that our environment is like having someone else at the table. In other words, I would never invite guests into my home if it were a mess. I would want it to be a reflection of who I am. Maybe my space morphed into a mess because I don’t ever conduct meetings at my desk, but that should not have been an excuse. The environment didn’t create itself, I created it. If I internalize what Mussar teaches us, then I will always be cognizant of my environment. Now it’s just maintaining that attitude.
