Clearing away the old to make room for the new
The burning bowl ritual discussed last week is a good way to physically surrender to the Universe those things which you no longer want to have cluttering up your life. Making a list of attributes, relationships, debts, and other things that you wish to relinquish from your life is a very good start. The second step, before you can open the metaphysical “door” to allow new good in, is to follow the burning of the list with an actual physical cleaning out of material goods that represent all that you wish to clear from your life.
This is an excellent time to do advance spring-cleaning, to make decisions about those things that take up space in your life. Do you really need to keep the past issues of TV Guide from 1953? Can you donate the old copies of National Geographic to the local elementary school for the library? Do you really need to keep the twenty-five tubes of ancient lipstick that lie in the bottom of your makeup drawer, the ones that are even too dried up to use? And, ladies, while we are discussing clearing things, how many pairs of shoes do you really need? Do you wear all the clothes in your closet(s) or have you possibly forgotten owning some outfits because you haven’t seen them in a couple of years?
Isn’t it funny how we complain about the things we don’t have at the same time we complain about the multitude of things that we do have? Only in America! It’s wonderful to be so blessed, but one of the first universal laws of abundance states that in order to attract new stuff, you must first clear out the old stuff to make room for it! Where are you going to put the new stuff if you don’t get rid of the old first?
Spend some time in the next few weeks going through the closets and boxes, the desk drawers, the pile of mail in the bag in the corner, and even through your bureau drawers. If you haven’t used it in the past two years, odds are that you won’t use it this year either.
What to do with all the stuff you clear away? According to organizational experts, objects when being sorted go in one of three boxes labeled keep, give away, or throw away. If garage sales are your thing, you might add another box for those things that might attract a customer. Be ruthless when sorting belongings. What is the worst that can happen if you throw something away you may need next week? You can always purchase another with the money you make in the garage sale!
A word of caution: make sure that the truly sentimental family heirlooms and momentos are put away in a safe place before you start the sorting. Sometimes, in an enthusiastic spurt of cleaning frenzy, you, or a helper, can become a little carried away.
You may be wondering what all this cleaning talk has to do with metaphysics. As Catherine Ponder states in her many books on abundance, nature abhors a vacuum and will rush to fill one. It makes sense to create a vacuum in your home by clearing the unwanted and outdated to allow the new and useful into your life.
For example, if you are craving new books to read, clear out your stashes of old books and magazines. Will you really read those romance novels again? If not, why not donate them to the local women’s shelter or retirement home? Medical offices and salons may welcome your outdated magazines for their waiting areas. You can always pack up the books you have read and take them to a used bookstore to swap for those you want.
Clothes, shoes, and household goods are always welcome at the many charity-sponsored thrift shops in town. Most of the charities have drop boxes scattered around town and some will even pick up boxes, bags, and used furniture from your home. Call them for information and an appointment. There are lots of people in our community who rely on the thrift shops for clothing and household needs so please be generous. It helps you, the charity, and the person in need.
Clearing toys after Christmas and birthdays is a wonderful habit to instill in your children. Have them choose some well loved toys, games, and books in good shape to donate to the children’s ward of the local hospital. Children confined to the hospital are often in need of books and toys to help them deal with illness and being in a strange and sometimes frightening environment. This teaches them to think of others and to establish the habit of recycling items rather than amassing a mountain of seldom used trinkets.
Clearing out your home accomplishes good in several areas. It creates a vacuum and allows a movement in of things you wish to attract, it enables your gently owned things to have a renewed life with someone else, and it keeps your housekeeping chores to a minimum. You will have less to wash and iron, dust, and store. You will gain a feeling of space and freedom and the opportunity of sweeping the cobwebs from your mind as you sweep the cobwebs from your closets, garages, and attics.
This physical clearing represents the mental and spiritual clearing that accompanies it and really benefits body, mind, and spirit. If you hold a garage sale in conjunction, it can also help your pocket!
Use this technique to open up the areas of your life where you feel stagnation, where you desire growth, and to practice your compassion and giving to others. You will feel better for it and you will no longer have to worry about being buried alive when you open the hall closet!
So clear out, create those vacuums, let go of the old and welcome the new with open arms. Happy New Year to you all! May this New Year be filled with light, love, peace, joy, and prosperity.
Please pray for and visualize world peace!
