This post was originally published in 2012 on Cyndi Briggs’s blog, Letters from Your Wayward Sister. I was honored to have been a guest on her blog.
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“What I know for sure: Our internal space has to be given the same level of respect and diligent attention as the external.” Oprah Winfrey
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Spiritual life needs decluttering too
On my best days, I feel clear about my life, confident that I’m leaning into my purpose, and secure that I have opened myself to Spirit’s guidance. Hope runs high and possibilities seem endless. Ahhhh, just thinking about it fills me with joy.
But then there are other days…
On those days, my prayer time is frenetic, and my mind bounces all over the place. I’m sure I must seem like a squirming puppy on God’s lap, cute and lovable perhaps, but unwilling to settle down and enjoy a peaceful and meaningful interaction.
I’ve learned an important lesson: this unsettled feeling is one sign I might need some spring cleaning to get rid of spiritual clutter.
Spiritual decluttering is clearing out as many distractions as possible to create the sacred space in which we can meet and connect with the divine power in our lives.
It makes perfect sense: if a clean desk contributes to increased productivity in business life, a clean spirit can do the same in spiritual life.
Watch for the signs
Besides the challenge of achieving mental calm during prayer time, there are other signs it might be time to step back, take stock, identify distractions or obstacles, and consider what might need to be swept out of your life.
- Emotional fragility: When I break out in tears (or want to) without any easily identifiable cause, I know I’m either tired or overcommitted.
- Unusual anxiety: Anxiety is a normal part of life, but when it escalates with no obvious reason, there’s usually something else going on.
- Relegating God to a To Do list: Most of us hit the floor running in the morning. I start my day with quiet time, but far too often, I realize I was in “get it done” mode and didn’t seriously engage in meditation or prayer.
- Restlessness: “Clutter is postponed decisions.” (Barbara Hemphill, organizational expert). If I’m honest with myself, my restlessness may stem from grappling with choices that stir me up until I’ve made a decision.
Take decluttering action
Spiritual decluttering must be intentional and, like physical decluttering, it has to be repeated from time to time. These tips have helped me
- Get up earlier, before the day brings too many distractions.
- Take a walk. Breathe in the natural beauty all around and breathe out your frustrations and worries.
- Finish what you start and beware of procrastination—it causes stress.
- Honestly identify worries and hard feelings. Dump them in an imaginary trash can, close the lid down tightly, and resist the urge to take the lid off.
- Think about the emotional triggers in your life. Acknowledging them is a step towards diminishing their power over you.
- Ask yourself if you can change any of the circumstances causing stress or angst.
- Notice the connection between your inner feelings and your outer surroundings. Would some physical decluttering of your home or office help? I’ve written about this: “Find yourself when you remove the clutter.”
- Ask yourself if you are over-committed. I often find delegating or resigning from something can make a huge difference to my inner calm.
- Are you getting enough sleep? I know I suggested getting up earlier, but perhaps your schedule could include a nap or an earlier bedtime.
- Are you allowing yourself some down time before you go to bed? If I work at my computer right up until bedtime, I rarely sleep as well.
- Are you worried about forgetting to do something important? Keep a To Do list or get in the habit of doing a “brain dump” at the end of each day. This enables you to go to sleep without worry.
Lay claim to your sacred space
You’ve worked hard to clear a sacred space. Now step into it.
Make yourself at home.
In your mind’s eye, feel the fresh air caressing your cheek, the warmth of sunshine streaming through the clean window. Listen to the burble of water in the courtyard fountain, the tinkle of wind chimes. Come with an open and grateful heart, ready to receive the gifts of Spirit.
Start to declutter now!
Don’t slog through your life under the weight of unnecessary spiritual clutter. Lighten your load and let the sunshine in! Let me know what helps you most to create sacred space in your life. We’re all on this journey together.
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Karen R. Sanderson says
atHow do you do it? Just when I need a post like this, it pops up. I’ve been feeling out of sorts all week. I know it’s partly the weather, but there is more to it than that. All sorts of little things have been going wrong at work. And I have been procrastinating on my poetry project – I need to get back to that! I have an emotional trigger that I have identified, but I don’t know how to let it go – because it has to do with family, it’s hard to ignore. I don’t think I’ve slept well for 20 years! I’d love to take a walk…our secretaries group does most days at lunch time, but we can’t get out right now – too darn cold! I plan on getting a treadmill soon, but I do love to get outside and walk. Your timing on this post was perfect. Thanks, E.
Elizabeth Cottrell says
atKaren, I’m so glad you found this helpful (though sorry you’ve got so much anxiety roiling around in your life). Sounds like you need a brain dump– get it all out on paper. I don’t know what it is about putting your head on the pillow at night, but that’s when all those things seem bigger, scarier, and harder to solve than they do in the light of day. When I am chronically tired, EVERYTHING seems more stressful. I wonder if the first thing you should tackle is why you’re not sleeping. Love beaming your way…
Annette Petrick says
at“Lay claim to your sacred space,” Elizabeth directs. What good recommendations on how to sweep away the clutter that keeps us out of that space. Thanks, Elizabeth, for a warm and heartfelt reminder of the pleasure of lightening our load and relaxing in serenity.
Elizabeth Cottrell says
atThank you so much, Annette! I’ve learned a lot from you about dealing with life’s challenges without losing either faith or hope!
Mickey says
atThis was just lovely. I feel calmer just having read your post. This morning I awakened wishing I had made a list of what I wanted to accomplish today. Being new to this semi-retired life is great in many ways but I’ve been going to bed without a plan; a plan for the next day has been a part of my life for thirty+ years. Initially that’s exactly what I thought I wanted, but many things slip ‘through the cracks’ this way. So I continue to rethink my life.
My art studio is close to being functional, and the new computer has been ordered. I’m running out of excuses for putting off what I love to do, design and paint. Meditation/prayer is the thing that will bring it all together for me. The physical things are nearly finished. Thank you for the much needed reminder, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Cottrell says
atMickey, I’m so, so glad this resonated with you, and I very much appreciate your sharing where you are in life. I think “retirement” is one of those life passages that is very different from one person to another, and it can make you feel you’ve lost your moorings. The women I know who’ve made the transition most successfully are those who don’t mind living with the questions and don’t rush to fill the “holes” in their schedule. They wait expectantly awhile until they find the perfect new connections to bring life meaning. If we don’t keep some space available in our lives, those perfect opportunities will pass us by because we haven’t made room for them.
Esther Miller says
atHoo Boy, have I been decluttering! When I first got my new place here in CA, I started making a list of all the “stuff” I wanted from storage on the east coast. By now, I’ve crossed a lot off that list…”stuff” I no longer need to be really me.
I’ve been wallowing in my aloneness…the same way our dog used to wallow in a stinky puddle…sheer joy at doing MY thing MY way. But I’m just about wallowed out for now and ready to connect with people again. My desk pad calendar has entries on it. A to-do list adorns the fridge. Sticky notes have reappeared and the paperwork I hate is slowly getting filed with “done” and the date scribbled on the sticky.
My new mantra is going to be “clutter is postponed decisions”. I sure needed to read that! Thanks to Cyndi and thanks to you, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Cottrell says
atEsther, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and clearly you’re experiencing exactly what I was talking about. I was glad to come across this piece which I wrote three years ago and find it’s still a message we all need to hear. It also reminded me that my father always believed that indecision was the cause of more personal unhappiness in the world than a lot of other things we tend to think of as happiness-robbers. The older I get, the more I think he was right.
Ellen Britt, PA, Ed.D. says
atElizabeth, this is SO timely! I needed the reminder that I can retreat into my ‘sacred space’ within at any time. This is a space I ‘set up’ for myself a long time ago, and I’ve been neglecting it lately. Thank you for giving me permission to open the door and enter once again.
Elizabeth Cottrell says
atThank you for reading and commenting, Ellen. I’m so glad you reminded us all that the sacred space we create is, indeed, a sanctuary, both for healing and recharging.