People frequently use the expression "my plate is too full" to mean they are swamped with work and other life responsibilities and can't possibly handle any more. I would take that metaphor a step further. Not only are our plates too full, our bodies are too full, our minds are too full, our houses and calendars and just about everything else in our lives are too full. Most people eat with the TV or radio on, in the car, reading the paper at the office while working on the computer, while rushing between meetings or errands and carpools. With so much external stimulation, how can we possibly pay attention to what we're feeding ourselves? We grab whatever is readily available and eat as though every meal is our last. In reality, this translates into perpetual feasting. Anytime there's excess, we can't think straight, feel straight, or know what kind of nourishment we need to receive from moment to moment. To receive nourishment, we need to make space, and making space means perpetually letting go of that which is no longer necessary.