Spring Clean Your Thoughts

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The lightness that comes with spring can go far beyond spring cleaning your physical space. As I venture outside after winter’s hibernation the cobwebs in my mind surface. Spring is the perfect time to clear them away and open up to new perspectives and ideas to take their place.

spring-clean-your-thoughts

Be impeccable with your word is the first agreement In the book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz. This is more than what you say to others; it’s about what you say to yourself. When you hear what you’re saying to yourself you can look at it and what it means to you, and decide if it’s relevant to creating what you want in your life. From there you can choose to reframe what you’re saying to yourself, change it, or even toss it out. This is spring cleaning your thoughts.

If spring is about lightness then simple language changes can make a big difference to your thoughts.

  • Replace but with and

eg When you change from “I’d really like to do that BUT I don’t know how” with its sense of finality and powerlessness to “I’d really like to do that AND I don’t know how” the mind is free to explore possibilities and new ways.

  • Replace should with could

eg When you change from “I SHOULD do that” complete with feelings of obligation, and half-hearted efforts to “I COULD do that” there is the possibility of choice that “should” does not offer.

  • Replace fighting words with more empowering action words

eg Do you “battle” the traffic or do you head off in plenty of time and wonder what the trip will bring?

When you don’t like what you’re hearing clean up the language and you’ll clean up the thoughts.

If the challenge is actually hearing what you’re saying to yourself try some of these –

  • Cultivate quiet time – this can be as easy as a stretch and some deep breathing during the day or time out for meditation or other activity.
  • Jot it in a journal – without censoring it. Writing gets it out of your mind and allows you to see it (pun intended).
  • Exercise – walk it out, punch it out, dance it out. Physical release of what’s going on in your mind will help you feel the emotion and then you’ll be able to hear what’s going on in your mind.
  • Talk – a listening ear from a non-judgemental friend can work wonders. A friend can hear something you may not be able to. Don’t be surprised though if it turns out that you are the one who hears it.

When you hear the thoughts you can clear the thoughts.

Spring cleaning your thoughts – what small step(s) can you take to spring clean your thoughts this week?

A coach is a great option to help spring clean your thoughts. If you’re ready to fast-track change in your life why not book in your obligation free 30-minute strategy session to see if we can help?