Try a Clean Sweep

I'm spending this week preparing my house for sale. I spent yesterday in the basement re-wrapping pipes, trashing some things, rearranging others and sweeping up. It gave me a lot of time to think and yet, all I thought about was cleaning. Oh, not cleaning the basement, cleaning up my mind. Wait! It's not what you think, let me explain.

What I pondered was the immense amount of knowledge we store up in our brains. We know language (some of us more than one), people (though I can't remember their names), songs (now there I remember all the words), information, history, processes, procedures, rules, etc. I could go on and on about all the things stored up in our brain. But when was the last time we did an inventory of what's up there? Like my basement, my mind is full of a lot of useless stuff that's getting in the way of clarity.

Okay, though I'm not a brain scientist (not even close) I do know that as we grow and develop, we create pathways in the brain that allow us to function at a very rapid pace. We move from unconscious incompetence to conscious competence through a process of learning, practice and mastery. All of this is very good. The challenge is that once the pathways are in place it's tough to change them.

For example, during my dusty exploits yesterday I thought about my defensiveness in certain situations. If I feel attacked, even in a joking humorous way, I immediately take offence. When I dusted off the reasons behind my feelings I realized that I still carry the scars of being the skinny little "new kid" on the block who had to prove himself over and over. Yet when I thought about it, none of that is true anymore. So the first step is finding thoughts or pathways that are no longer valid.

The second part is not easy. Getting rid of old thoughts and habits. One thing I do know is that old thoughts and habits have to be replaced by something new, something better. We can't just "not do" or "not think" something. We have to replace it with something else. So, as I moved boxes into the newly swept areas of the basement, I thought about my life now and who I am. I'm no longer the skinny kid (no kidding) but a successful adult. So now I've got a picture in my mind to bring up when those feelings start happening again.

It's not easy cleaning house. There are so many things we've grown attached to and hesitate to let go. The same in our brain. We've got old ideas running around that are hindering us from being the best person we can be. Take some time to think about the old ideas that might be getting in the way. Identify them and then replace them with new ideas. It's not easy and it's not quick because you have to continually remind yourself, but it can change your life.

Okay, 'nuf said. Today I have to clean out the garage.