What’s lurking in your wallet (purse, coat pocket, back seat of your car…) that you no longer love, use or need?
Some of the items that came out of the clearing practice we did as part of talk I gave recently:
- 8 lipsticks (in one purse),
- 14 pens in one, 12 in another
- A bagful of store receipts…
You can probably guess the rest. Let’s just say, they weren’t exactly what you would call treasures.
If you feel like doing a little clearing on the spot, right now, here’s my invitation:
Pull out your purse, wallet, backpack, coat (or whatever is immediately available), and empty it all of the contents on the floor or a clear tabletop.
Take 5 to 10 minutes to group the contents into the following FOUR PILES – Stay, Go, Throw, Don’t Know:
- Stay [items that belong in this location]
- Go [rogue items that have somehow found their way into the bag, drawer, or pocket and need to be put back where they belong]
- Throw [miscellaneous junk, stubs, dead pens, wrappers, etc. to put in the trash]
- Don’t Know [items that you’re not quite sure what to do with; set them aside and deal with them after you’ve addressed the first three piles]
After you’ve grouped everything, address each pile beginning with #1 and ending with #4.
When you’re complete, close your eyes and notice how you’re feeling for one minute:
- Notice your breathing: is it shallow, is it full?
- Notice your energy level.
- Allow yourself to feel whatever you’re feeling (including resistance) without doing anything to fix, manage, or change it.
Awareness: It changes everything.
