By the time we flip the calendar to March, we are all pretty much ready for the greatest season nature has to offer; spring. It is the season of renewal, new growth, bringing in the new and sorting out the old, whether that means clearing the spaces we live in, preparing the soil for new growth or replenishing our wintered-out souls. Spring-cleaning is traditional to almost every culture, but it is a very individual thing. Our homes are our temple, organized and created to suit each individual need. For some, it is simply a matter of washing walls once a year, for others it may be about cobwebs, corners, closets, drawers and garages sales. Bringing fresh air into our homes and space into our world is as important as breathing itself.
There is a lot of advice out there about how to organize and declutter one's domain. Clutter is the disorderly ways we fill our space, but what about the clutter taking up space in our mind, heart and soul? How much space is left in your mental hard drive? I often think about how my computer slows down when it gets too full, and once in a while needs to be defragged. That may be a rather odd comparison, but defragging our soul goes far beyond pressing the 'delete' key to a magical POOF and all the bad 'stuff' hits the trash box! That 'stuff' can be very toxic to our soul as well as bad news for our health. Sometimes, a dusting off of the soul can be the greatest life-giving favor we ever give ourselves.When we start to feel that burdened, chaotic, over committed, almost suffocated, our bodies almost scream out to "stop!" Headaches, high blood pressure, anxiety, shallow breathing, tight knots in the stomach, diarrhea, depression and insomnia are all signs that we may have filled our days with needless 'stuff', activities, commitments, and people. Silence, serenity and solitude have no room to fit.
What sort of fears or beliefs are we hanging on to that tells us we do not deserve or we have to justify the 'good stuff'? If we never stop, we will never have a chance to soul search, step outside ourselves, look in and see the bigger picture, what needs to stay, what needs to go, or what pain and childhood beliefs we're holding onto that are keeping us on hold. Maybe keeping a chaotic schedule is the easiest defense to the hidden pain, but 'a thousand miles starts with a single step' and it is never too late to start taking care of us, inside AND out.Expressing oneself is like doing a daily dusting of the soul. Augustine Hippo quotes, 'the soul, which is spirit, can not dwell in dust.' Our soul is a vital core, the essence of every human being, and it needs to be nourished.
Nourishing the soul is as needed as water to a growing plant. Expression can be singing, music, writing, reading, meditation, silent reflection, or prayer to name a few. Facing our fears, naming our feelings, accepting that we are ok, letting go of what is no longer serving us well or what is beyond ours to control, digging out what may be buried from our past that may be stopping our growth now and allowing ourselves the right to chose what is in our best interest to keep are all healing helpers. Accumulation of material 'stuff' needs to be thinned, and often that happens at this time of year. I wonder what kind of waste disposal it would take to destroy some of the mental, toxic sludge from the closets of our soul? Once the process of removal begins, we are still us, with our pains, experiences, remorse, regrets, and memories/good and bad, they are what has shaped us, but may have also stopped us from living our full potential.
We all have different priorities in life; what really matters is taking the first step. If you let go a little, you will have a little peace; if you let go a lot, you'll have a lot of peace; when you let go totally, you will be at peace. Remember the song, 'Let the Sun shine in, face it with a grin, Open up your heart and let the sun shine in'? Sing it and live it, you deserve to enjoy the blessing of a "Sunkist" Soul this spring!.
.Audrey is an amateur writer who loves to write about life and its experiences. Comments are very welcome.
By: Audrey Lizee
