For most people, Spring is finally in the air. I for one am happy to see that Mother Nature has decided to finally pay attention to our calendar and share with us some of her “warmer” gifts. Such as sunny warm breezes and refreshing rainfalls, versus blistery winds and falling snowflakes. I can see the beauty of buds forming on the trees and several birds singing to the sunrise. Now, speaking of Spring time....one of the things that most people think about and plan for is spring cleaning. In most cases, that means cleaning our houses, yards, and closets. However, I would like to share with you another form of “spring cleaning” that I personally conduct every season on myself. A form of mental spring cleaning.
Just as dust accumulates in our homes over time, our minds can collect “dust” so to speak. This “dust” can fog our minds and prevent us from thinking as clearly as a crystal blue Caribbean ocean. One of the most common thoughts we have, which seems to fog our mind up, is our ability to realize that we have full control of our actions and our lives. Many people tend to give up control in two major ways. The first is giving up control to circumstance, and the other is giving up control to another person.
Just as dust accumulates in our homes over time, our minds can collect “dust” so to speak. This “dust” can fog our minds and prevent us from thinking as clearly as a crystal blue Caribbean ocean. One of the most common thoughts we have, which seems to fog our mind up, is our ability to realize that we have full control of our actions and our lives. Many people tend to give up control in two major ways. The first is giving up control to circumstance, and the other is giving up control to another person.
Some examples of giving up control to circumstance include: “I can’t go to your party”, “I have to go to the store”, and “I should clean the house”. Even I have used these excuses myself from time to time. However, I realized that they left me feeling powerless. In reality, and unless someone is actually threatening you bodily harm, more empowering phrases would include “I choose to”, “I won’t be”, “I am going to”, and “I will”.
Examples of giving up control to another person include: “I want James to love me more”, “I want my company to give me a raise”, and “I want Casey to admit he was wrong”. In every single one of these examples, the control of the outcome is given to someone else. Leaving a person to feel helpless and even victimized. More empowering phrases would include: “I want to feel more love”, “I want to make more money”, and “I want to believe I did the right thing”. The more empowering statements can give someone a clearer picture to the problem and as a result, a clear solution may surface. In addition, the control is not given to a specific person or organization. Someone may realize that there may be several ways and options to receive what they desire or need.
In conclusion, I would encourage you to mentally “spring clean” your mind, as well as your home or yard. The following tip can help you to get started today.
In conclusion, I would encourage you to mentally “spring clean” your mind, as well as your home or yard. The following tip can help you to get started today.
Mental Spring Cleaning Exercise:
1. Write down a list of “I can’t” statements you have.
2. Now look to your left and right to see if someone is
threatening you bodily harm. If not, move onto #3.
3. Re-write the statements to read “I choose not to”.
4. Review both lists to see which one leaves you
feeling more empowered and less helpless.
ENJOY....and BEST WISHES TO ALL!
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