There’s just something about Spring, right? There’s newness everywhere, often in bursting colors and wonderful scents. The browns and grays of Nature transform into fresh and bright and clean.
We humans get into the spirit of it all, too. Among other things, we put away winter clothes, wash windows to let in the sun, zip through a carwash, get a breezy haircut, and do spring cleaning. The more energetic of us work our spring magic on patios, and garages, and attics.
May I suggest another “attic” that could use some spring cleaning?
Our minds need it! After all, we’ve been through an extremely messy time in human history. We’ve coped with the personal consequences of a worldwide pandemic, political upheavals, natural disasters and threats of even more disaster. The mandated physical distancing kept us apart from the people who have been our physical supports with hugs and pats on the back and laughter. We not been with our usual companions physically for travel and sports and family fun and entertainments of all kinds. Zoom and Facetime and Skype as we will, it’s just not the same.
So most of our mind attics could use a good sorting out and cleaning up. There are social skills unused for awhile that need dusting off. Maybe we will use them more mindfully going forward, having had quieter time and longer times to think about what’s really important in our lives now. There are as many conflicting thoughts in there as there are friends and news sources who look at the same reality and see it completely differently. There are traces of emotions in there like upset and anger. There’s grief at our losses and restrictions and even the mistakes we made tackling some things we’ve never had to deal with before. Shut in with those we love most, we’ve been our best selves and regrettably our worst selves and there are lots of broken things in the corners of our minds that need attention.
How to start? Well, spring cleaning of any kind works best with great tools. I have something you might want to try. I found it myself about a year ago and my own mental attic is really shaping up. In fact because of this tool I’ve been up there working every day. Not only have I been sorting and tossing years of accumulation. The daily attention means that I’ve been alert enough to keep lots of stuff out that I would have sighed and stuck in a corner to deal with later.
This tool is free and it’s called The 7-Day Mental Diet. You can download it here on this website–it even comes with directions and inspiration. And once you download it, you’ll get on my mailing list for additional tips I’ve learned that will probably help you as well.
Here’s why The 7-Day Mental Diet will work when other things probably won’t. I know because over the decades I’ve spent lots of time reading, studying, and learning other tools that didn’t get me far enough into the attic to make a difference.
You know that among other things I’ve been doing in the Master Key Experience, I’ve been steeping myself in the writings of Charles Haanel. That’s because he himself steeped himself in the wisdom passed down through centuries by wise ones who wanted to find a way to live at their highest and best physically and to master their minds. Like them I want to live this human experience as fully as possible. Here’s what he says in Lesson 26 about our mind-body connection:
- But not through quarantine or disinfectants or boards of health will man reach the long-sought plane of physical well-being; nor by dieting or fasting or suggesting will the elixir of life and the Philosopher’s Stone be found.
- The mercury of the sages and the hidden manna are not constituents of health foods.
- When man’s mind is made perfect, then, and then only, will the body be able perfectly to express itself.
And the door in seems to be gradually changing our thinking by becoming the observer of our thinking. Should you accept it, your challenge will be to think only positive thoughts about the world around you and the world within you for seven days. This will give you a direct and effective way to shove open that attic door and get to work. The fun part? If you catch yourself thinking a negative thought you get to start over and string together as many days as you can.
I’ll be doing it with you and will enjoy talking with you about your experiences!
Love the idea of Spring Cleaning of the Mind, Shirley! Way to go!
what a great metaphor! it’s not that our minds are dirty….LOL….just get cluttered, right?
Shirley, I love how you use the spring clean analogy and connected to the mental diet. Yes, we all need to do this very regularly to be able to live our utmost to the best and most potential of life that is given to us. Thank you!
I can see where I would need a mental diet/cleaning. In my life, I have learned a lot of things which has helped me to become smart. However, I think I have a lot of mental junk which I have, which I need to empty out. I will go through The 7-Day Mental Diet program and see what kind of renewing of the mind will turn out. Thank you!
Yes! I’ve been spring cleaning and it’s great to mirror on the outside what I’m doing on the inside because they reflect each other as you know! I am making sweeping changes both in and out, letting go of what’s good to make even more room for what’s awesome! The Mental Diet so worth practicing too. I’ve been doing a coach training with Shirzad Chamine who also says that if the negative stuff sticks around more than a few seconds, you’ve been hijacked by your “saboteurs!” The mental diet such a great place to start and such a better understanding of how to really do it and work it into life by doing the MKE course. Thanks for this awesome share! 🙂
Shirley, thanks for suggesting we need to spring clean our mind. I know my mind needs spring cleaning as well as the minds of many others. From your blog rover friend John.
Epic analogy Shirley – this is fantastic! Mahalo for sharing this and I never thought of it that way before Bravo!n Not just a rant of complaining but actually being in service.
Totally agree with Laura and Mahalo for commenting here!
You’re right John we gotta thank Shirley for this great blog!
Shirley, I love how you tie cleaning out the old thinking in your mind to normal spring cleaning. It seems that I let things in my mind sit even if they no longer serve me. I have enjoyed working with you over the past few months as we have learned how to clean out the attic of our minds. Thanks for this awesome blog post. It was a great read.
His Shirley great blog. I am looking forward to following your journey thanks Julie
Thanks so very much, Julie! Thanks for sharing the journey with me!
I have REALLY enjoyed working with you as well, Linda. You’re such a fab writer. Thanks for letting me know that you, too, “let things in my mind sit even if they no longer serve me.” I’m glad we’re MasterMinding the process and supporting each other.
Thanks for the great vibs, Davene! I thoroughly love working with you!
I agree, Davene. Laura is wonderful at MasterMinding!
Davene, I had never thought of spring cleaning my mind either before yours and Mark’s fabulous #masterkeyexperience. I’m so delighted we’re MasterMinding to be of the greatest service possible. 🙂
Great to hear from you, John. If we all need mind spring cleaning, it’s a lucky thing that Spring comes along once a year to remind us to do it, right? 🙂
Laura, I love MasterMinding with you. I especially love your words “letting go of what’s good to make even more room for what’s awesome!” I also love your coach’s insight about how even seconds matter for how long we allow negative thoughts to take hold. After all, then they require CLEANING OUT!
Good luck to you, Ched! I’m on that 7-Day Mental Diet with youI A tip from my first time through it. I congratulated myself for getting through seven days easily. Wow, I thought. I am really positive. Then someone said this Diet refers to thinking about yourself, not just about the world around you. Oops. I loved how you called it “mental junk.” Let me know how you do, okay?
Esther, thanks so much for agreeing. I like your observation that it has to be done regularly, not just in the Spring. Like you, I’m passionate about living at my highest and best. 🙂
Oh, Sharon. Your sense of humor is electric. Ha! GOOD ONE! Yes…clutter. Well..maybe dirty as in “needs dusting off and polishing or tossing.” Love MasterMinding with you!
Thanks tons for writing from THE PEACEFUL PLACE, Pammy! I love MasterMinding with you.
How true you are. Always the very best to you.
Another attic to clean……great job, Shirley!
Thanks, Lee! I wish I had thought about it this way years ago. 🙂
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Thank you, Torri! Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of the post for more REALLY helpful info!
Very descriptive post, I liked that a lot. Will there be a part 2?
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I am sure they will be benefited from this website.
Thanks, Domingo! Did you get the free 7 DAY MENTAL DIET yet? Click in the upper right hand corner. I think you’ll like that, too. All the best.
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