Depending on what part of the country you’re in you might already have done your spring cleaning – at least on the surface. Then again, given this year’s winter, you may NOT have gotten to it yet.

Regardless, it’s like making a new beginning. We can always do spring cleaning – no matter the time of year.  Just calling it spring cleaning makes you feel young again too.

So, why am I talking about cleaning here? Because there are at least two types of cleaning – external and internal.

External is as important sometimes as internal. You have to have a clean external environment in order to allow your energy to flow freely. Sometimes, though, this is a formidable task. What then? If that’s the case, then start small. Dedicate (and commit to) 5 minutes a day to unclutter some area of your home or office. You can certainly do 5 minutes without getting overwhelmed…and it’s hard to say that you just don’t have even 5 minutes to spare. Look at it as if it’s an appointment because it needs to be something you’re set on achieving. I think you’ll be surprised to see that once you get into it, you’ll go even longer than 5 minutes – maybe only 10 or you may stick to the 5 minutes but if you stick to that, you will have accomplished a goal! How cool is that?

Pick out the area that bothers you the most and go to work on that. Set a goal for that area – be able to walk through without tripping, be able to find your notes easily, open your bills and file them so that doing your taxes will be easier etc. You know what it is you want to be able to do.  Put it down on a piece of paper or better yet, on your calendar every day or every other day. Then it’s become an appointment. Once you have your external environment clean and empty (or even organized), you will have allowed the Universe to make readily available the things you have asked for in Step 1 (Ask and it is given).

But what about the internal cleaning we have to do. There are so many emotions we just store up and never do anything useful with. In fact, they are like the physical clutter in our environment and they prevent the movement of the good emotions  and thoughts we wish to have in our lives. If you are filled with anger and resentment, how can you experience the joy and happiness you wish for? You can’t because there is no room for those emotions to float around and bathe your soul.

How do you do the spring cleaning of your mind?

1. Make a list – free flow – of the emotions that are rummaging around in your mind right now. Just let it roll. Are you experiencing fear? Are you worried about a bunch of things? Are you angry at your friends or coworkers for something? Do you have resentment for not getting a better job or a raise or a position you’re after? Are you angry at an ex whom you feel treated you poorly? I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Write down all emotions that come to your mind.

2. Take that list and write next to each feeling the emotion you want to replace it with. If you’re unhappy write happiness or joy. If you’re resentful about something, write what you wish to feel – is it peaceful? Is it contentment? Write down whatever it is you really want to feel.

3. Once you have the list of the emotions you want to experience, try holding thoughts about that emotion for 17 seconds (leading to the 68 second process). Once the 17 seconds has become comfortable move on to either the 68 second process or the “wouldn’t it be nice if” process.

4. Talk out loud for 68 seconds about how you will feel with these emotions being prominent. Something like “I feel so peaceful and relaxed. I am happy and content. I have so many positive emotions inside my emotional bank that I am overflowing with joy……” and just keep going on for 68 seconds.

5. If this is hard to imagine, try the “wouldn’t it be nice if….” where you substitute what you desire after the “wouldn’t it be nice if..” – that makes it a bit easier for the subconscious to believe and respond to.

6. In a few days or a week, try the whole process again. Write down the emotions you are now experiencing.  See what’s changed. Hopefully you’ve done the uncluttering in your physical space as well as in your mind and you’ll see the difference.

Terrie