De Cluttering the Spirit

I'm going to go out on a limb today and write about de cluttering.  Not our homes or garages, but de cluttering us.  Spiritual material is included in this post, so I wouldn't be offended if you choose to bypass this one.  I hope you don't though because that is only a portion of the post.

Life, for most of us, is pretty long with many things that happen and are said to us.  We say things to others too, with no intention of injury, but sometimes things are received in a negative manner.  As an example let me tell you what came out of my mouth to daughter one (C) last night on the phone.

We were talking about Christmas gifts and I blurted out, " I got lots of 'sheet' from you and S.  My intention was to say I got a 'sheet' load from you and S.  The words came out all jumbled and I laughed still trying to get the words to come out in the order they were meant.  Of course she gave me a hard time, as is her way of jesting with me.  We ended up laughing and said good night.

The unintentional words could have been hurtful, IF she chose to receive them that way.  She knows at this stage in her life that holding onto infractions can clutter her spirit.  This is not how she wants to live.  Neither do I.  I want a spirit that's free to laugh and not bogged down with old hurts and pains.

How does one de clutter their spirit, you ask.  Or perhaps you may think there's so much past hurt that it's not possible.  Not to be too harsh, but yes indeed, it's possible.  Lets begin with the Our Father prayer.  The prayer Jesus gave when asked what we should pray.  He replied that when you don't know what to pray, to pray this.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses AS WE FORGIVE THOSE who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

There have been a number of times in life that my spirit was damaged.  Deeply.  But, I didn't want to carry the injury forever.  It's a bit selfish of me because I was more concerned about me carrying the pain than the other person.  I began the process by saying I forgave them.  Not really forgiving, just declaring it.  Over and over again.  Then I would say the Our Father with an emphasis on AS WE FORGIVE.....  It use to take forever to get through the process, but each time it became easier and now all these years later the process is instant.

Most people have no intention of hurting others, especially when love is in the mix.  There are, however, people who enjoy hurting others.  Forgive them as well and move on with no further interaction with them.  Always be polite, but keeping an emotional distance is a very healthy choice for you and those around you.

All of this is easier said than done - for certain.  It takes time to go through the list and use this process to remove the negatives we store up.  I promise you, though, the process is worth the time it takes because it becomes a part of you that eventually will take no time to be put into action.  After all, de-cluttering our homes takes tiny steps and time, too.  Looking at it in this light may be helpful in reminding you to stay the course.

If you choose to accept this challenge, I commend you for your strength and fortitude.  After all, what is 'woman' but a collection of strengths.

If you'd like more on this subject, let me know and I'll do what I can to help.

Stay safe.