We've all heard about hoarders - people whose homes are so full of
'stuff' that you have to walk sideways to move around.
We humans do have a propensity to hold onto our stuff - a teddy bear
from the crib, a corsage from that 9th grade prom, maybe a box or two of mementos.
"But what," we ask about our physical clutter, "if at
some point I need this stuff?"
Let's face it, if you haven't used or enjoyed an item in a given period
of time - one month? - one year? - then it probably is a waste of space. Sure in 20 years it might have a re-use, but
think about all the ways you'll use that same space in those 20 years!
And what about all that emotional
clutter - the remembered and stored hurts, insults and rebuffs from our entire
life?
What do you think would happen if you let it all go? Some of it?
With our emotional clutter, we ask:
"Isn't it dangerous to 'erase' this from our mental hard drive? Don't those negative memories protect us? If we eradicate them doesn't that mean we'll
let the same thing happen again?"
Actually by processing and
learning from what happened and THEN clearing that space in our mental
storage bin we open ourselves up to new and different experiences.
DANCE WITH IT! EXPERIENTIAL APPS
An opportunity to
experiment with some fun ideas...
DE-CLUTTERING
102
STEP
I
Make a list of your stored and
remembered:
Insults
Failures
Missteps
Mean people
Negative romantic
experiences
STEP
II
Process the experience.
Imagine that you can
review each of these events in Technicolor. Can you see some themes that emerge?
What happened?
Who did what to
whom?
How did you react
then?
How did you feel?
If the same event
happened today how would you react?
How would you feel?
STEP
III
If your reaction
today to the same events is different from in the past, great! You learned the lesson and you are ready to
LET IT GO!
If your reaction would be the same today
as in the past, take another look at that experience and sort out the learning-
about you - that needs to evolve.
Step
IV
Once you get the lesson -
the learning for you in this old negative experience - you are ready to let it
go!
Imagine you can
watch the old experience in Technicolor.
Tune into the details and feelings.
Imagine that you could talk to that old you and offer some current
advice and support. What would you
say?
Now minimize the
image from that past experience … so tiny that you see it disappear!
Take a deep breath
and blow away any remaining negative crumbs.
How do you feel
after you do this?
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