Empty Out

 

January is a time when I like to empty out, the freezer, closets and mind. A time for getting rid of the old to make room and create space for the new. Old year, old thoughts and ideas, old food, everything old going in a time when food prices are rising, along with outmoded ways of thinking and living. Just yesterday I heard that in the next 20 to 30 years water will replace oil as the worlds top commodity. Makes sense when you ponder deeply on the subject. What we think will remain the same, does not, and change will continue to emerge as global resources deplete.  But, for now let’s start with the freezer.

I recently had coffee with an old friend. Raised on a farm and always a pickle maker at heart, she has raised her children with wise values of life and living. Store your wares in time of plenty for times of want. In January, she and her family purchase little from the grocery store and instead eat what is in the freezer, plenty of eggs and homemade soup and of course homemade preserves, including pickles. For one month, stores and wares are consumed making room for spring, new plantings and fall harvest. Eating a little less for a month also makes space in the belly where laughter can take up the newly found space.

Closets too require a thorough cleaning.  A time to review wardrobes and ask ourselves this question, Have I worn that outfit at all in the last year? If not, it requires a new home in someone else’s closet space. I was saddened to hear today that Goodwill stores are closing, a much needed asset to people and families in North America. There are always other means of donating unused clothing, treasures to those in need. The days of plenty are now replaced with days of need and minimalism in our living and wearing. We no longer dress to excess but rather jeans and a good t shirt will suffice for just about every occasion. Even our makeup and hair styles are becoming more natural and easy. Perhaps finally we are getting comfortable with who we really are. The first steps in exposing our souls.

Our minds are a little harder to de-clutter as they are the largest and most complex storage units on the planet. What goes in rarely comes out. The shelves of our minds contain storage boxes with labels even Ikea or Staples would be proud of. Things we dare not throw away for fear of loosing part of ourselves, our memories, our hopes and dreams, our worries, our grief, our beliefs, our fears. But, what if you could start de-cluttering your mind by getting rid of just one thing that no longer serves your higher purpose. What if you just sat in silence for 15 minutes going over what is stored there and what you might want to get rid of. Can you toss away one negative thought about yourself or another? Can you discard one fear that you have held onto all your life? Can you tear up the memory of an event that was painful and let the angels carry it away on clouds of white and sunshine? Can you imagine a space in your mind that is empty, yes empty! An empty space that can be filled with loving thoughts, white light, softness and warmth. A space filled with beautiful pictures that you alone have created. Pick up a paint brush and fill the brush with your favorite paint colors. Now paint that beautiful picture in your mind, in the space you created filled with white light. You can sit in stillness anytime and go to that loving space now filled with beautiful creations. Space you created by making a clearing in your mind for something new to come in. The more you practice at de-cluttering, the better you become. Empty out that which no longer serves you, freezer, closet and especially your mind. Happy New Year. Happy new you.

Quotes obtained from Pinterest.com