Some friends asked their children if they would you let go of family heirlooms. The answer they received was a striking, “No!” The conversation got me thinking about old notions. Old notions are like storing hundred-year-old heirlooms in your house; the clutter may go unnoticed for years. Have some of the thoughts you possess outlived their usefulness? Thoughts repeated over and over like heirlooms, without any examination, take up significant energy, time and resources. Lugging, storing, dusting and doing it all over again can be emotionally draining. I accidentally discovered this valuable life lesson when I moved temporarily to a job site. I lived simply and took only a suitcase and a tiny crystal candle holder. Upon my return home six months later, I was shocked at how objects sucked up my energy when I walked back into my house. Those things unapologetically wanted all my attention. After this realization, I sold my antiques, stored my collections, and declared myself a minimalist. Since then, I only put things in my personal space that I love. Museums can pay homage to the past. I learned to say no to historical, old notions. I had no desire to be an archivist!
Using the Word No
Out-of-date habits, too, must be periodically reassessed. I learned what I say no to soon departs from my life! Heaped up and overflowing thoughts can be burdensome to carry around, like old worn out heirlooms. I began to use the word no to set boundaries, and in return I started exercising a new emotional fitness in my life. This change in my mentality lead to many opportunities for more personal growth.
Lighten Your Load
Now, it’s not so easy to say no to familiar people, comfortable situations and old habits. Without meaning to, people can dish out memories, conversations and routines that will clutter up your mind if you let it. It is here we invite an emotional and mental fog to set in. The energy it takes to sustain possessions and old conversations produces fatigue. Don’t become afraid to lighten your load. If you find yourself resisting, challenge yourself to consider becoming a minimalist. Seriously ponder this about something in your life. Sweep out the cobwebs. Go on a mental diet free of outdated thoughts, possessions or conversations. Start simply by saying no to an out-of-date thought you dwell on. See how it frees up your mind. Then go a step further and release some physical baggage. Pick an easy target. Only when you start freeing up space in your mind or a physical room in your house will you experience a new-found freedom. Make a decision to show your resolve to let go. Releasing an old notion that has completed its course in your experience is a goal you are truly ready to set now.
