Spark Joy: Declutter Your Mind

Queen of Declutter Marie Kondo suggests you hold up an item and ask yourself: Does this spark joy? If the answer is yes, keep it; otherwise, lose it. Is it time to declutter those thoughts taking up space in your head?

We are all driven by invisible forces until we become conscious of those forces. Then, we have a choice to make: continue as we were, or forge a new path.

When we fill our minds with garbage, we don’t leave space for treasures. When we hoard mental clutter, we run out of room for the things that bring us joy.

Do a quick inventory to see if clutter is taking up space in your head. Do you collect–

• Anger?
• Resentment/bitterness?
• Fear of failure?
• Regret/shame?

To liberate yourselves from these space-stealers, I offer three suggestions:

Forgive others

Perhaps easier said than done, but this is critical to mental wellness. Ask yourself, “What are the benefits of holding on to this grudge (or anger, resentment, bitterness, etc.)?” Short list, right? You don’t need to talk to the person you’ve struggled to forgive. Just offer forgiveness in your mind. It won’t change the other person, but it will change you. And it will free up room in your head.

Forgive yourself

Harder than forgiving others is learning to forgive ourselves. Instead of holding on to trophies of past failures (regrets, shame, embarrassment, etc.), learn to say to yourself, “I am no longer the person I was when I made that mistake. I’ve grown. That person doesn’t live here any longer.”

Start a new collection

“Letting go of the past means opening up to the future.” ~ Tamara Lechne

We can’t just kick out old thoughts and mental baggage, we must replace them as well, with things that are positive, helpful, and useful to the lives we want to live today–and hope to live in the future. Replace–

• Resentment, anger, and bitterness about another person with forgiveness and prayers for that person
• Regret and shame for what was with gratitude for what is

As a final thought, imagine having complete amnesia. Your memories are blank. You can decide what hangs on the walls of your mind from this moment on. Wouldn’t you choose to be joyful, positive, grateful, generous, kind, forgiving, and confident?

Here’s the best part: you don’t have to experience amnesia to make those same choices today.