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Belief Hoarders


Thanks to reality TV, we all know what a hoarder is. Someone who compulsively acquires things - buys them, finds them, the method of acquisition is not important, what is, is they cannot get rid of anything. They keep things that appear to others to have little or no value and many times end up cluttering their home to the point it can no longer function as a viable living space.

It is easy to recognize when your physical living space is cluttered and certainly when it ceases to be a functional or comfortable environment. But, what about the living space inside our minds? We can be hoarders of thoughts, beliefs, ideas, and values that are gathering dust and critters in the corners of our minds and are of little or no value to us.

I have certainly been a belief hoarder. I have hung on to ideas about the right way to do things (my way), the right side of social issues, judgments about others' beliefs, my self worth, my abilities, who it is okay to love, how to dress, and so many more. Most of us have thousands of beliefs we have acquired throughout our lives. My mind is like an attic filled to the brim old, moldering, broken, unused memories and beliefs that I keep thinking I will need someday. And as often as I clean it out, it builds up again.

Clearing the clutter in my mind always makes me feel more focused, more refreshed and ready to tackle new projects and absorb new ideas. I am more compassionate and open to the people around me.

You too can get rid of congestive thoughts. What are the waste products of the mind? Selfishness, prejudice, fear, doubt, worry, greed, envy, are some. Others might be buried so deep in the pile you cannot identify them right now. That's okay. Start by clearing a small space.

What are you afraid of right now? What are you worrying about? Start there. Is the fear or worry real? If so, is it imminent? Answering those two questions should get you on the path. If a fear is not plausible, possible, likely, imminent, or valid, we can find a way to let it go. If it is irrational, or just something left over from childhood that we never worked through, we make a new ending today. Some fears can be addressed directly by doing whatever we can about them.

Fear in reaction to a threat is real and we have no control over it, but the attached worry on a continuing basis, we do have a choice there. We can choose to acknowledge the fear and be grateful for the warning and then move our minds to other things. Things that are not going to effect you today can only take up energy and time that you could be using for something constructive. Let it go. Be in the now. Be constructive not constrictive.

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