Lighten Your Load

It’s Spring and on every glossy magazine delivered to my mailbox I notice a common theme. As Martha Stewart expresses it: “There are few rites of spring more satisfying than the annual clean.” Okay, I get it, and buy into it.  We are in the season to clean, purge and get beautifully organized. It is amazing how much energy we free up when we lighten our load. But beyond material things, other issues need examining.

Think about the emotional clutter you carry around internally.  What issues have you left unresolved? Are there situations you should deal with but continue to tolerate, thus giving away your power? Should you be letting go of something or someone?

Do you keep looking back rather than living in the present moment? Are you tightly holding on to resentments instead of forgiving and freeing this emotional baggage?

Once you have identified these problems, fears and anxieties, the next step is to write down the critical items prohibiting your peace of mind. Then ask yourself…what is the solution? Prioritize the list. Start working on what bothers you most. For example, does someone need your forgiveness, or do you need to be pardoned? Forgiveness can reset our mental focus. The original Sanskrit meaning of forgiveness is to untie. Once you untie the chocking hold of anger you will free your mind and release stress.

Is it time to stop withholding your voice? That means you must face situations by taking your power back.

Stand up and be heard. Do not allow fear to block possibilities. Be ready to win respect by acting on your convictions. Remember, it is not your job to keep everyone happy. Your mission is to be true to yourself. Have you been playing it safe for fear of being hurt? Reflect on your strengths, and then pick up where you left off before you caved and relinquished your power.

My final word on lightening your load is to stop starting projects on a whim. Should you spend the afternoon creating a gourmet dessert to take to the dinner party,

or make a quick stop at the nearest bakery? Must you really hand knit your son a sweater, or will store-bought do?  Packing those unnecessary jobs into an already overloaded day only adds to your stress level.

Here is my suggestion. Make a pitcher of lemonade and

settle into a cozy chair on your patio as you stretch out with a good book and breathe a sigh of contentment.

Congratulations, you are on the right path to lightening your load!