I love spring! When the days are getting longer, I hear sounds of birds chirping, and see tiny blossoms poking through the ground, I feel alive. I am full of anticipation. Invigorated! Renewed! I find I smile more and have a little more pep in my step. When spring is in the air, everything seems right. Spring symbolizes new beginnings. There is something exciting about starting fresh and starting over.
Spring is like a second chance to recover all that has been neglected in the winter. Whether decluttering our living spaces, trying a new hairstyle, buying a new fragrance, or freshening our wardrobe, we yearn for something new.
Some of us have our yearly rituals of cleaning our living spaces, sprucing up with new linens and pillows, or somehow breathing new life into our surroundings. Just as we whisk away the cobwebs and vacuum the dust bunnies gathering in high corners or under our sofas and beds, spring is also a great time to do some emotional and mental cleaning for our total well-being.
We can easily clutter our minds and emotions with stress, worry, negative thinking, dreams deferred, past failures, and comparing our lives to those we see on social media. Not to mention that it’s easy to get paralyzed from the madness and uncertainty of the world around us. But, life is for living and despite what’s going on around us, we can live on purpose, one day at a time.
As you think about spring cleaning your home, here are a few suggestions for spring cleaning your mind. Right now, make a commitment to yourself to become better than you were this winter. Be resolute in becoming the person you dream of being. After all, if you can dream it, you can be it. Decide today to sweep your mind and heart clean of fear, comparison, and waiting for permission.
1. FEAR. Just as fine particles of unseen matter float sneakily in the air, gathering like clouds under furniture and accumulating slowly until it hides the beauty of your furniture, fear is always lurking. It lays low and waits for the best opportunity to come before it rears its ugly head. Some fear is legitimate. Like fear of deep water when you don’t know how to swim. Other fear comes to rob you of your dreams and your joy.To spring clean your fear,
· Identify it and acknowledge it without judgement.
· Ask yourself if your fear is based on reality. Somethings aren’t the obstacles our mind tells us they are.
· Re-frame your fear with curiosity. Take on a different a more positive view. Embrace what is before you as a new adventure.
2. COMPARISON. If your mental closet is filled with notes that keep you measuring yourself against others, you have a recipe for insecurity. You have cooked up a dollop of self-doubt, drizzled with misgivings, and a dash of jealousy. To spring clean comparison,
· Don’t believe the hype. Social media is filled with curated moments. Everyone one struggles with something sometime.
· Embrace your uniqueness. Your journey is yours. Learn to celebrate yourself and the small victories achieved on the way.
· Focus on personal development. Take baby steps if you must but move toward becoming the you that you want to be.
3. STOP WAITING FOR PERMISSION. This is the best advice I’ve ever been given. If you find yourself waiting for permission to pursue your dreams, answer God’s calling, or to step into your power – STOP. Fear of failing, lack of support, and the need for validation will leave you paralyzed at the crossroad of life. Stop waiting.
· Permission is power. Give yourself permission. If you don’t, you give others authority over your life and choices.
· Don’t be afraid to fail. Every failure is a lesson learned, not an opportunity wasted.
· Be true to yourself. Your authenticity gives others around you the courage to be themselves and pursue their dreams, too. Being true to you empowers others.
Always remember, you are the author of your own story. You can re-write the script at any time. You don’t need anyone’s permission to flourish. You hold the pen. Line by line and chapter by chapter, you decide who you are going to be. So, step forward without apology and claim your place in the world. Acknowledge your fear, but don’t compare. The world is waiting for you.