As I stated last week I am dedicating this month to getting ourselves in order before we face the upcoming year. For some of you this year has brought about some bad memories, experiences, and situations that don’t need to continue into 2010. However, I have discovered that sometimes the physical things around us have sparked those bad memories, experiences, and situations. So literally it is time to clean your house.
Now there is that old saying that: “How clean your house is when the New Year comes is how clean it will be all year!” Don’t act like you don’t know this, because so many of us scramble around a couple of days before January 1st cleaning corners, dusting ceilings, and washing every item of clothing in the house. Let me just say cleaning up the inventory doesn’t change the significance.
I am guilty of holding on to those little mementos and placing sentimental value on material things. At some point I just have to realize that they are just that, material. They are sometimes constant reminders of our past, our pain, and our failures. I know there are many things that are good and make us proud, like your first “A” on the report card.
So when you are cleaning this month, take inventory of those things that bring us unpleasant memories. Toss that energy out into the universe and replace it with something positive. Here are some things that come to mind:
Obituaries: At first I thought it was a tradition to save the obituary of a loved one. I would often visit family members and see various obituaries lying around representing the loss of an uncle, aunt, or mother. Have we ever sat down and thought about the grieving process and the fact we are stuck in the moment of the death? Despite the fact that it is lying around the house, but the moment someone comes over and comments on it, we start back at stage one of the grieving process. If you cannot throw it away, at least put it out of sight in a box or in the bottom of the closet. The same goes for the flowers we save from the gravesite. Depending how long since our loved one has moved on, it is probably withered and rotted, and to me that is not a true symbol of the life they lived. If you want to remember a loved one, do something positive in their memory like start a community garden, a scholarship fund, or donate a stain-glassed window to the church. This will definitely bring a brighter memory than those obituaries lying around reminding us of a dark day.
Tragic Newspapers: There are times when our families have a moment, and in my experience it may be something tragic and unavoidable. Fatal car accidents, victims of homicides, and notable fires, not to mention when one of our own commits a crime and is sentenced to life in prison. These are not articles that should be saved and preserved. Especially now with the Internet. If someone wants to know, let them Google it! Throw it away and stop looking at it over and over again. Sometimes we do things that cause us to revisit painful situations and we never heal or forgive for that matter. Let it go! Let it go!
Relationship mementos: Why are you still sleeping in your marital bed and you have been divorced for 10 Years? The teddy bear that was given to you for Valentine’s Day when he/she proposed is just a memory of heartache. Trust me, let it go! Why do you still sleep in his t-shirt or wear “his/her” favorite perfume/cologne? Find a new fragrance and move on! I know this is sometimes easier said than done, but trust me in the end you will appreciate the one you are with right now more. If you are alone, maybe the reason why you do these things is because you still haven’t let go. Some items are easier to get rid of than others, but do what you can and build yourself a new life, particularly one that revolves around you.
These are just a few but important things that we tend to hold on too often that bring us pain over and over again. Of course it is easier said than done to just throw pieces of your life away, but really how can we ever move forward? So, take some physical inventory of those items that are lingering around your house and think about the energy it is emitting in your universe. Move into positive memories and experiences that make you strong and be placed in situations that bring you joy!
