Spring is a time that we naturally start to think of rebirth, growth, new. It’s a season of generation and creation, of color and vibrancy and freshness. So it’s natural that we would have a desire to clean.
I mean, face it. It’s refreshing to open the windows and let the air flow freely through the house. It’s invigorating to feel the sun bathing the skin in warmth. It’s just plain nice to un-stuff the house.
And that’s what we do. We take everything out. We throw away all the junk that’s accumulated over the winter. We clean the basement, the garage, the closets, the yard… we clean the office, the car…
It’s really not that big a step to also clean out the junk that’s accumulated in the mind. Just like the garage, we’ve been piling stuff up for months, everything from wishes for a warm vacation to thoughts of longer days and a cold beverage with friends. During winter we close our physical spaces to keep the heat and light in, and we also close our mental spaces as a natural consequence. When we open the doors and windows of our living space, we should also give ourselves permission to open our mind and air it out, too.
It is not difficult, it’s just a choice to make. The baggage we collect over our lives is by choice, and letting it go is also a choice. There is no particular reason to hold on to it other than ego and habit. Letting it go frees us up to enjoy our lives in less encumbered ways.
How do I let go? For me, personally, it just takes any outdoor activity. Moving the body, breathing deeply, working up a sweat… playing sports, going for a run (or vigorous walk), swimming, biking… these are all easy avenues to clearing your head. So are more quiet pursuits, like painting or photography or meditation at the side of a lake or wading in the ocean or sitting on a hill overlooking a valley or vista. Fresh air, alone, is a big part of a clear mind. Anything that increases how much air you cycle through you increases that clarity.
Clutter fills our mind because we let it, just like it fills our garage because we let it. With a little focused energy, we can clean the garage. With a little focused energy, we can clear our minds and be open to whatever comes next.
And spring is a vary natural time to do that.
Other news
- There are certainly worse reasons to get drunk: Europeans get drunk ‘to have sex’ [news.bbc.co.uk]
- Very punny: Sex infections continue to rise [news.bbc.co.uk]
- I’ve had a hunch about this for some time, glad to see it’s being explored: Sitting straight ‘bad for backs’ [news.bbc.co.uk]
Quote for the week
To keep your mind clean and healthy, change it once in a while. - unknown
From the editor
I’ve re-vamped the bookstore on the site… now it’s a full-blown store with a real inventory and selection. Please visit it and let me know what you think!
I’ve also fixed a couple problems with the sent emails, such as giving them a proper subject and making the font larger. If there are other changes you’d like to see, send me a suggestion using the feedback link on any page of the site.
Healthy thoughts,
Jeff
