004 Badge of Honor

Yesterday, Toni was cleaning out a room and it was our time to channel.  She brought up she was having trouble getting rid of stuff from her past - didn't seem to want to let go even though she has been retired for over a year.  She has lots of info from when she was a teacher and I have lots of stuff from when I was a computer systems admin…books of letters, proposals, summaries, procedures, etc.

So we hooked up and found out this problem is called a 'Badge of Honor.'   Perhaps like a boy or girl scout badge…which says, "look at me.. I did this good."  The items we keep - which in my case are twelve [12] 2', 2.5' or 3" 3-ring binders in my Oregon location and more in the Cal location about insurance that I haven't been involved in for about three years. Now that is a lot of paper just gathering dust and taking up space.  Then of course, there is the collection of the books I created for a software teaching firm in San Jose, and some things from Sun Micro, and my trading tapes, etc.  All of these were things I was personally proud of, and still occasionally brag about. Especially the trading because I made $43,000 in one month in 1999.  I haven't done it since but I still have bragging rights, AND I have the video's, notes, paper trades and various other paraphernalia to prove it. 

So, how helpful is all this stuff?  I can tell you it is currently taking up two shelves in a 4 foot wide bookcase - the floor to almost ceiling type, plus at least one drawer in a 4 drawer cabinet and that is only at one house, not to mention the originating files I have saved on my computer.  I found it interesting that I had to have the computer file and the paper file as well.  Wowser!!

Anyway, Chamuel, who is the go-to angel on careers and relationships, says we keep these type of things as a Badge of Honor because they make us feel good.  We did that.  We did it good - because of course, we don't save the stuff that makes us feel bad. We toss those things immediately, or at least hide it at the back on the bottom to probably be tossed later.  So, Chamuel suggested we keep ONE thing from each subject and especially that we get rid of the Badge of Honor 'program.'  For those of you new to angels, each of us creates programs in some lifetime to help control what we do or how we act.  Once a program is set up, you must do the action, it is no longer a choice, until the program is done or you cancel or eliminate it.  Some programs are helpful, like breathing, but others simply suck and this is one of those.

Well, neither of us was sure we wanted to get rid of the program but Chamuel explained that it was not helpful because we HAD to save stuff; it was no longer a choice.  Every time I would think about tossing the stuff, something in me just didn't want to toss it.  So, I saved and saved and saved, and just the other day I bought another bookcase because of course, I was running out of room.  So, if you have this problem also, just ask Chamuel to get rid of your Badge of Honor program, and he will.  Then you can easily decide if you want to keep one thing or toss ALL the stuff with great gusto!  You may also be able to get rid of all of those 'attagirl' and 'attaboy' plaques taking up space on your wall - you decide. I personally am going to have a full can for recycling on Thursday. 

[And I did!]