Spring Renewal

For many of us the spring season signifies a time of de-cluttering, getting rid of the junk we do not need any more, having yard sales, and deep cleaning the house. We also freshen up our flowerbeds and yards by pulling out or killing off the weeds, planting new flowers and watering it to stimulate new growth and vibrant color. This spring, why not do all of these things (figuratively) within yourself as well?

I encourage you to take some alone time to get inside yourself to sort out some of those thoughts and feelings you are carrying around inside you that are taking up precious space. The things I am referring to are old wounds, doubts, and self-defeating thoughts that are restricting your positive flow of energy and preventing creativity. Here’s a small exercise to help with this: Just like preparing for a yard sale, go through all you ‘stuff’ and separate it all by writing it down in two columns – one is the Keep column and the other is the Release column . Now, take that piece of paper and cut it down the middle vertically so the columns are separate. In a yard sale, you would try to sell your old stuff. Haven’t we been doing that with the stuff on this list for many years anyway, through blame and pity? Haven’t we been trying for years to sell other people on why we are the way we are and deriving our sales pitch content from this Release list? The Release list is the foundation for far too many people. In this case, we don’t want to sell this stuff, we want to haul it off to the dump where it will mingle with everyone else’s unwanted junk and eventually rot away. So, take your Release list, wad it up, shred it, burn it… whatever your preferred method of disposal is, and get rid of it - for good!

Now that you have made room, it is time to freshen up your mind and spirit and plant some new colorful thoughts, dreams and goals. Again, taking out a piece of paper, write down a list of the three main areas of your life in which you want to focus positive energy. For example, this may be family, friends, spirituality, or career or whatever else pops into your mind and heart. This list will be the things in your life you will tend to and focus on so that they will grow and flourish. You will need to care for these things just as you would tend to a garden. It may be important from time to time to weed out the negative things or people in your life so that they do not choke off and kill of your dreams and desires. You will need to nurture your dreams by surrounding yourself with positive people and input. Associate with people who are happy and have a healthy optimistic outlook on life. Read books and listen to speakers who motivate and encourage you to be your best self. The more you fill your mind with positive and uplifting self-talk and thinking, the less opportunity all those old things from your Release list will have to resurface. Just like a garden, if you let it go and do not maintain it, the weeds will come back, the flowers will die and you will have to work extra hard to get it back in shape again. Take stock regularly of the amount of clutter you have accumulated and the vitality of your garden. If you picked up new junk, let it go before it adds up. If the flowers in your garden are losing color, add a little positive input into your life.

As your garden flourishes there will be a point in which you can pick from it and give others in your life beautiful and fragrant bouquets of flowers by becoming one of those people others gravitate to because you make them feel good. You will become that positive and uplifting person you were looking to be around yourself. You may also be able to help others simplify and de-clutter their life and begin to tend to their own flower beds of happiness. It is in giving that you achieve prize-winning flowers.