Ahhh!  Spring cleaning time!  Are you looking forward to opening those windows and letting your home "air out."  Well, there is more to spring cleaning than meets the eye.  And it all points to doing something fresh, something new, and perhaps uncovering things that you had long forgotten about.  It may be something that you have been hoping for, or hoping to get rid of.  Or maybe spring cleaning to you means just getting out.

 

All these thoughts, beliefs and ideas focus around one thing -- your own life experiences.  And I have got the perfect analogy for you to think about as you do one of the timeless spring cleaning rituals -- cleaning out the garage.

 

You know it's time to get in there.  One by one it all gets taken out of the garage and put in the driveway.  Move the boxes, yard equipment, toys and bikes.  And as you do you begin to find things that you didn't even know was in there, or things that got dumped in there because it had no place else to go.  Perhaps you uncover stuff that you were supposed to donate, but forgot to do it.  And what about my own personal favorites -- "oh, that's where that went?"  and it's other friend "what the *&$% is this?"  

 

 

Wait... HOLD ON.  Let's think about this for a moment.  What have you really accomplished?  What have you gained?  In reality... all you gained was a clean floor and a prettier appearance.  Hmmmm...

 

Take a moment to consider this... why is there stuff in there at all?  I mean, some of it you do need for real.  But what about those things that don't get used but take up space anyway?  Hanging on to it because someone gave you.  Or you think you may use it again.  Or it was worth something at some point.  What about all the surprises you found?  The things that you didn't even know were in there.  

 

Now I want you to go back and re-read this story and think about your mind as the garage.  All those ideas, thoughts, beliefs and experiences that are in there.  Some you know about.  Some have been in there for such a long time that they are all covered up with everything else.  Habits that you have always wanted to change but just can't seem to get down to it.   Things that have been put in there by parents, teachers, religion, society, media, friends, relatives... 

 

Isn't it time to do some spring cleaning of the mind's garage?  Taking an inventory of the ideas, beliefs and values you carry along with you.  They shape and influence every experience and every relationship that you have.  They shape and influence your emotions and reactions.  They shape and influence how you see yourself.  In my book, The Zing , this is where your self-discovery journey begins.  But instead of a broom, you use journaling, letter writing, relaxation and self-help reading as your tools to empty your mind of all the clutter and take inventory of what you really want to put back and what you need to toss aside.  

 

Ahhh!  Spring cleaning time is the best time of the year.  Start today and crack open the windows to the mind.  When you choose to change your thoughts, you begin to change your life.  So, get out and grab that breath of fresh air!