Until recently winter in Belgrade was a mild one. No snow, or low temperatures, almost spring-like weather. But in few days everything changed, and my inner alarm told me not to leave the house. But not leaving the house when you have a dog is not a possibility, so my other choice was to get out all of my warm clothes. Not everything was up to the task, some of the clothes are ready to be replaced, given, or thrown away. And there I was, with a cup of coffee in one hand and my clothes all on the bed, when an affirmation went through my mind:
" I am cleaning out the closets of my mind"
I am used to affirmations as my daily thoughts, but this one surprised me. I went to my bookshelf and looked for one book from Louise Hay in particular. And maybe it was procrastination, but I read few pages from it, just to refresh my memories and to find out more on the present affirmation.
I remembered it correctly, and I also reminded myself why I loved that affirmation as well. As someone who loves to live a minimalist life and a pretty organized one too, I love to clear out my closet once in a while. Some of the things in there are just not right, some of them are too small, some too big, some out of style, and just not for me anymore. Once I got into reading Louise Hay's books, I applied that same philosophy to my everyday life.
So, how do you clean your mental closet?
Unfortunately, it's not that easy as clearing out your clothes, but the same principles can be applied. First, you have to know that not all of the clothes and thoughts are fitting you anymore. Since you don't (hopefully) hold on to your clothes from childhood, why should you keep your beliefs from that time too?
Let's say you have some thoughts all your life. Like:
- Don't talk to strangers;
- Money comes hard;
- Everyone lies;
- Men don't cry;
- Women are not good with money;
Whatever the beliefs are, you learned them long ago, probably in your early childhood from your parents. They had the best intentions in mind, preparing you for the rest of your life. But the question is:
Are those beliefs true for you?
I came to the conclusion that most of them are not really what I want to believe, or what I already believe. So, the cleaning began (and is still going on)! I selected the thoughts I saw no purpose in, like "Don't talk to strangers", and decided it's time to let them go and replace them with new ones. It was a good thought while I was a child, to keep me out of the danger, but as I grew old, "strangers" were new contacts that I needed to succeed.
You can distinguish some of the beliefs you had for a long time, that serve no purpose to you now, and decide to change them. Like throwing out old clothes and making room for new.
Cleaning out your thoughts is a way to a better and more comfortable future, where you can be yourself in the present, not your parents (and other life teachers) in the past. Let go of your shell, and move into a much bigger and prosperous life.
I finished my cup of coffee with the book and joyfully returned to my clothes, ready to say good buy to some of them and make room for new clothes (and experiences).
What beliefs are you ready to let go of? Be sure to leave a comment!
With love,
Tamara