By Creating Simple Spaces we develop Spacious minds. Clear your Space, Clear your mind. 

Clutter fills our lives in different ways, the mess from our stuff and the chaos in our minds. They are intricately connected. And in both scenarios, they take up space.

The degree of stuff we enjoy having around us is a personal matter, so this is not about our choice of interior design. However, it is about the things sitting around gathering cobwebs, literally and figuratively.

I am not a minimalist, and I don’t believe that we all need to be, although the thought of minimalism has some attraction for me. I feel more at peace in a serene, uncluttered environment. There is a lot to be said for spas creating a Zen feel.

By the Less is More concept, we gain from the simplicity of less.

So what comes first, decluttering our space or decluttering our minds? I have found that some of my best ideas come when I do menial tasks like yard work or purging my cupboards of unused or unwanted items.

For me, the answer is to clear the clutter, then I can think clearly. It works as a two-way street. The clearer my mind is, the more critical it is to have my space clear too.

My property includes a barn. Piles of stuff can quickly accumulate outdoors without really being in the way, out of sight, out of mind, until one day, when all of a sudden, it is ALL in the way.

So, I put on some gloves, pull up my truck, and begin.

The first things I start ridding myself of are the broken items, no longer usable or just taking up space with no purpose. Once I have cleared my space, I feel I can breathe again.

Once started, there is no turning back. Like the piles of stuff hanging around outdoors, the clutter in our minds isn’t noticed until it is.

The stuff we hold onto within our minds is trickier to get rid of. It is not often easy to understand what needs to go. And secondly, it keeps coming back as if it is on an autofill.

What can be apparent in the mind’s clutter can appear as chatter.

Chatter has various volumes. When it’s loud, like mine, when I want to sleep, it’s obvious. Sometimes, though, it’s shrewder. It whispers in the background, a constant low hum of unending thoughts.

The chatter can be an inner dialog that justifies who we are. ” I am independent,” I am strong,”  I am ok alone,” I am successful,”  or it could be our insecurities and anxieties, “I am afraid,”  “I am unworthy,”  “I will always be {blank},”  “I will never be {blank},” and so forth. The chatter often reminds us of our To-Do list at inopportune times. There are endless topics the conversation is versed in. Luckily whichever volume your conversation communicates in or subjects it likes to chat about can be dealt with similarly.

Many of us attempt to rid ourselves of chatter by taking action. We keep busy and active, which may, in the short term, help. Ultimately those methods create temporary distractions, not long-lasting effects.

How do we start? Like clearing the clutter from our cupboards, starting one shelf at a time, we can begin with quieting the mind.

There are various ways to stop the chatter. I like to sit and look at my garden in a daydreamy state. Yoga helps me tremendously, as does riding my horses. I listen to quiet music or ocean waves. Or sometimes, I sit and listen to my breath.

However, as beneficial as my methods above, I have found meditation most effective.

Meditation is a way to unlock ourselves from the conditioned mind.

 

At one time, meditation was linked to monks. Nowadays, millions of people meditate. You will find that many successful businessmen and women, actors, athletes, and celebrities attribute at least part of their success to meditation. They may practice different forms of meditation, but the keyword is they practice meditation.

Exploring different meditation styles suited to your goals is a great way to improve your quality of life. The benefits are many. Even if you can only dedicate a few minutes a day to start, the critical element is to begin.

We all have our truths inside of us. We know what is best. And even though we know, the chatter can still talk us out of making the best choices. We must first let go of the internal conversation to hear our inner voice, which speaks reality.

Writing exposes my truths to me… It forces me to examine who I am and if I am really living my truth. 

 

Writing about meditation’s virtues, I can say with 100% certainty that meditation works. I can also confess that the chatter in my brain has often won out. I succumbed to its pressure and ignored my meditation practice, knowing it was going against my better good. I share this with you to permit you to do as much as possible. No one is keeping score. The more we practice, the more of a habit it will become, and the more we will gravitate to our minds’ quietness.

Some Benefits of Meditation are:

Increases Brain Functions and aids in age-related memory loss, and lengthens attention span.

It creates a Healthier Body, reduces stress, and can aid in controlling pain and addictions.

It promotes Emotional Health, controls anxiety, and can generate kindness.

Here are a few meditation apps that may help you get started. If you have never meditated before, get instruction or join a group. However, if you meditate not as regularly as you would like, these apps may be the very thing that gets you motivated. We are more potent than our chatter. Let’s get started.

Happy OM ing!

What makes a great life?  Having overall tranquility and knowing all will be ok.

~Kiyo Sharp Glenn