Cleaning Your Home Cleanses Your Soul

Being organized does not come natural to most of us; it is a learned behavior. If you take a look around you, chances are that how you feel on the inside is not far behind what you see on the outside.

We can only have so much stuff. Clearing away the clutter, although it’s a job, can be a very rewarding accomplishment. It makes room for change on the inside, and what better time to do this than spring!

We often cling to material things because it gives us a feeling of comfort, value, sometimes even status. We are our stuff. It can be hard to rid ourselves of the things we have labored for, saved for, been given, or those cherished items that bring us memories of earlier times. It is the very stuff that can keep us in a time capsule.

For me, cleaning out a closet was a good start. Over a two year period, I set a limit of one box per family member for the items I can’t part with. However, this can be difficult if you live with a family. Just because you are ready to start purging and become a minimalist, does not mean everyone in the family is on board. I was lucky. I decided to part with many things when I became an empty nester.

I set it up as I would have wanted it if I knew I was going to pass on. My children were given the family heirlooms while still alive, and I can watch them have the enjoyment of using them. It was not easy to see that many of the things I wanted to give away were not meaningful to others; I had to accept that they were my memories, not my families.

The attic, the basement and the garage were all downsized. I needed to do this for my spirit. I was overloaded, like an old computer hard-drive. It was full. Some of the decorations that I had not seen in years, went on the Christmas tree one last time. Some knick knacks were put out for a few weeks before they went to a new home. The sweater my sister loved was now hers. It was a grieving process I decided to go through so that I could grow.

Recycling the various items was something that I knew I had to do. Many people now have the things that at one time meant so much to me. It is a sense of freedom that I can’t explain. I have room in my spirit to grow into where I want to be. There is space available in my mind to learn the things that I want to have more knowledge of; a sense of freedom to move on to be a more peaceful soul.

April 22, the phase of the full moon, is a great time to work on things you wish to remove from your life; to start purging and get organized. This phase will insure that your project runs smoothly, with fewer complications and a clearer thinking process for the decisions you’ll be making. You will want to smudge your home when you’re finished, to bring in spiritual cleanliness for your new beginning.

by Body Mind Spirit Guide