Clear Your Mind! The Rest will Follow.

MAKING ROOM sounds like a physical undertaking. Overflowing drawers, closet doors that won’t close, last week’s McDonald’s wrappers stuffed in the pockets in the car all come to mind. That’s what I was thinking when I began 30 Days of Making Room. I wanted to get organized, to escape the mess, to somehow overcome the phobia I might need something the day after I threw it away.

To my surprise, my penchant for stockpiling extended far beyond the physical realm of my house, office and car. Turns out my head and my heart are equally crammed with unnecessary baggage. I found it easy to focus on my office for an afternoon, to sort through my books and take a few to a half price bookstore. The destructive thoughts, the uneasy feelings, the unhealthy bonds were harder to spot and clean out. As I clear out the nooks and crannies of my house, I have noticed new and beautiful things have replaced the junk. Of course the same is true in my head space. For those of you who were not born in the ‘80’s, you might remember some lyrics by En Vogue “Free Your Mind…the Rest Will Follow.” It’s become my anthem as I clean up the craziness in my brain, I find space for passion, purpose and love.

Here are five essential mostly non-physical spaces to consider as you Make Room. Remember, you’ve got to let go in order to receive!

1. Places of Abundance.

   Your stashes. Your make-up drawer, your book case, your CD collection. After many years of financial stress, I tend to want to have lots of options. It makes me feel RICH. My makeup drawer is filled with different types of eyeliner, I like my books and my socks and my underwear options. As I make room I have learned two things. First, I must move unwanted things OUT in order for wanted things to come in. Second, the process of making room is about tailoring my life for me.

2. Relationships

   Take a good look at your relationships. Or maybe you just need to speak the truth in love. Clean out your negative thoughts by speaking the truth in love. Or, let go of a relationship that isn’t working so a healthier relationship can come in to your life.

3. Memories.

   What is stuffed back there? You weren’t ask to prom? You were a gangly skinny kid that annoyed everyone in sight? Or maybe it’s more serious, a painful divorce or a tough layoff. Clean it out and make room. You are YOU right now. It’s a new day. Let go of the baggage and travel lighter.

4. Worries.

   On the surface, I don’t look like a worrier. I am all action. Moving and shaking and making things happen. But in the back of my head there are worries about when checks are going to come and how I’m going to get it all done. Do something to clear your head out. Deal with the worry directly, meditate or fill your mind with positive thoughts.

5. The to-do list.

   I have things on my lists that I am not getting done. I’m not totally without hope; at least I’m not completely avoiding them. BUT, I have these things that I move over and over to the next day. Make room. Just get it done. Leave that item behind. You will have room in your mind, on your list and in your day for something else more preferable tomorrow.

If you are anything like me, a few of those five items make you uncomfortable. Of course it does; it involves the TRUTH! So as you go through your day, examine your life the way you evaluate your physical spaces. Think about what is working and what isn’t. And consider doing some cleaning and organizing in your mental space as well.