You know you don’t need it anymore: those jeans that fit you two years ago that you’re holding on to; that favourite tee shirt you wore in college that looks more like swiss cheese no or those magazines from six months ago.
We hold on to “stuff” as if it has some ability to define the quality of our existence. And maybe it does, to some extent. We want the world to perceive us in a positive way, and “stuff” (nice clothes, a beautiful home, sexy car) very often creates the idea of status in our social structures. And that’s okay….I like shiny things too. But what happens when you are held hostage by your “stuff”? rather than truly enjoying it? AND what happens if you think of your brain in the same way?
PURGING WHAT YOU NO LONGER NEED… is a tangible concept in the physical world, and we’ve all done it: purged our closets, donated no longer needed items to friends in need, to Goodwill, to churches and refugees. And it feels great. It feels wonderful to donate and it feels good to create physical and metaphoric space in our homes and our hearts.
PURGING WHAT NO LONGER SERVES YOU… is a slightly trickier concept. What about those pesky thoughts? The ones that clutter our minds, the ones that distract us from our true purpose, those powerful little monsters nibbling at our souls and disturbing our inner peace. How can we release these thoughts that we barely even notice, but have a great deal of power over us?
Yes, some of these thoughts are what drive us into a positive place, they can be a source of inspiration and can lead us to our highest purpose and incredible successes. But let’s focus, for a moment on the OTHER thoughts. The ones that impede us, stop us, distract us, hurt us. The pesky little monsters. This is where quietly listening to our background thoughts or being really present to what is happening within our own minds comes in. In order to change these pesky monsters, we need to hear them, we actually need to let them into our conscious minds to see what they are.
These thoughts can feel like bullies: making you take the long way to school, making you avoid the playground a recess, causing you to feel shame for who you are. These thoughts have many different origins, often they are from an unconscious parent or traumatic event, but that doesn’t matter now. Yes, your story is important for you, but your story will not change your thought patterns, that is completely up you.
Taking time each day to reflect on what’s happening inside of you, to give your mind the chance to quietly observe itself and to notice those background thoughts. It sounds a bit odd now that I write it down, but essentially this is what happens: you get to hear and see what is going on in there. And let’s face it, sometimes it’s a bit of a mess. Sometimes you hear things that really surprise you. Sometimes you hear things that seem like the opposite of who you think you are. But in these quiet contemplations, you become aware that that “bit of a mess” is just a bunch of words and sound bites from a past that have somehow managed to have power over your actions. The moment I realized this I started to laugh at the absurdity of it, then I cried a bit, at the absurdity of it.
One of your parents may have made you think you had to look a certain way. A caregiver or teacher may have criticized your abilities and made you feel you were never good enough. You may not even know what is influencing your daily life and what drives your actions and reactions. But there are two ways I know if to find out: you can have expensive therapy to explore this or you can just sit quietly for a few minutes a day and listening to what is actually going on inside of you.
It works. it truly does. And not only is it free, the return on investment is infinite. You’re ready to let go of what no longer serves you. I know you are. Even those pesky little monsters know you are. It’s time to let them go. It’s time to find some stillness and peace from it all.
Becoming the focused, powerful person you were meant to be is inevitable. Letting go of what no longer serves you, simply helps you get there faster.