Spring seems to be the perfect time for a fresh start. How can I spring clean my life?
There is something wonderful about spring that puts us in the mood to spruce things up. Maybe it’s the longer days or the warmer temperatures or things growing in the garden. Spring is traditionally a great time to clean house in more ways than one.
Taking care of clutter
Most of us hold on to things far longer than they serve us. Do you have a collection of useful junk that you are hoarding? Take some time to declutter physically, spiritually and emotionally. Sort through the stuff that is piling up around you and donate it to a charity, have a garage sale or toss it out. If you have lots of clutter, simply begin with one drawer or closet.
Next think about de-cluttering your relationships. Sometimes you outgrow a relationship and its time to move on. Sometimes you find yourself surrounded by negative people. It’s okay to shift away from some relationships so that you can move on to others. You’ll have more time and energy for the people that matter most to you.
Your spiritual life needs a little extra attention every now and then too. Now is a great time to reconnect with, or deepen your connection with, your heart and soul. Commune with nature, meditate, worship on a consistent basis.
Refesh your routines
When we spring clean we are shaking off the dust and grime from the winter. You can use that same idea to refresh your routines. What’s become stale in your life? How can you infuse some new energy? What do you need to pay more attention to? Find a different fitness activity, try a new recipe, give up TV, or take up a hobby. You’ll be amazed at what a fresh start can do for you.
What life coaching question would you like to ask Laurel?
admin | Perspective | Tuesday, December 11th, 2007
Sometimes someone else takes exactly what you’re thinking and says it just perfectly.
Nic Askew is a talented film-maker who makes short films about life and the human spirit for monday9amfilms.
What if life were hidden in the heart of every experience?
That’s what loving the chaos is all about. Life brings you the whole spectrum of colours, emotions, and experiences. Deciding to fall in love with all of it is what balance is all about.
Ever feel like you’ve got your head stuck somewhere?
Had a moment when you say, “What was I thinking?” That happened to a kitty named Wild Oats who had his head stuck in a peanut butter jar for 19 days before he was finally caught and rescued from his glass prison.
You have to imagine that Wild Oats must have had what seemed like a good reason to shove his head into a jar. Maybe peanut butter was an appealing treat. Maybe he’s just one wild and crazy cat always up for a challenge. Whatever the reason, I bet as soon as his head was in the jar he had one big oh-oh moment.
So here’s the thing…
before you go sticking your head into something that might not be such a great idea, STOP and weigh the pros and cons. One of the reasons why life feels out of balance is because you make unconscious choices. You jump into something without really asking whether you have the time, energy or desire for it. And then once you’ve said yes, you feel stuck in the commitment.
And if you go ahead and end up getting stuck, often the best thing you can do is get some help rather than running around trying to avoid it.
Life is meant to have a few risks. If you feel like sowing some wild oats, go ahead. Just be sure you have a plan for getting your head out of the jar.
Maybe life feels like it’s out of balance sometimes because you’re expending way too much energy trying to be someone you’re not.
Brad Paisley gets it just right in this video. With the soaring popularity of social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, people now have the ability to virtually re-create themselves in whatever fashion they want. Unless of course someone posts a group photo that shows you in a less than flattering light.
A recent survey by jossip.com suggests that one in five people make up stuff on their Facebook interest pages just to sound more sophisticated.
And we all know it won’t be long before we start receiving those dreaded Christmas letters in which people share their “amazing” life from the past year. They just happen to leave out all the stuff than sounds too normal or routine.
Making real not virtual changes
Perhaps if we weren’t so worried about what the other guy thinks, and were more okay with the way we are, we’d have a lot more time to make some of the changes we think we want.
Ok I agree Brad Paisley is a cutie, but I wouldn’t write off Jason Alexander either. Most women say they want a man with a sense of humour.
Or wait…is that just something they write on their Facebook profiles?
