How Do You Clear Your Inner Space?

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to point at and click a Delete button at what clutters your inner space? Our days would be so different if we could.

When I turn on my computer each morning, I go through a 3-step ritual. First, I use a program (which interestingly has the word Aware in its title) that identifies unseen attachments that came from outside my computer. The program quarantines the items, and I hit the Delete button to remove them and their potential or actual influence. This first step has an added benefit: Using it lessens how many of the unseen attachments get sent to other people’s computers through emails I send. Second, I go to Temporary Files and delete those. Third, I delete files in the Recycle Bin. This ritual lets my computer run faster and better. If my computer starts to run a bit slower and less efficiently, I repeat the 3-step process. Sometimes, this is necessary to do several times a day.

It would be so convenient to have similar features installed in ourselves to deal with negative attachments so we could just point and click and be done with them. Instead, we actually have to Pay Attention to our attachments and do the work ourselves. But, there is a benefit to this: we can evolve from this type of attention; our computers and their programs can’t do this, not without our help.

The ritual is important, if I want a better performing computer. But, a ritual is only as good as the self-discipline to use it. And, rituals, just like program updates, need updates over time because we change and life changes. When it comes to personal rituals, flexibility fueled by dedication to yourself and your life is a must; but you want rituals that support you, not encumber you.

It’s been said repeatedly, and proven, that a ritual of some kind, used in the morning or at night, for even a few minutes if that’s all you have, makes a difference. If, as part of your ritual, you identify and target even one attachment to pay attention to that day so you can do something different about it, that action may have a huge impact. And, maybe you’ll pay attention so that you don’t “share” the energy of your negative attachment(s) with others. I think you know the type of energy I’m talking about.

Our Temporary Files are matters we haven’t made a decision about, matters we haven’t taken action on, and matters we know are just clutter but we haven’t made the effort to organize or delete them from our inner list.

Our Recycle Bin holds attachments, grievances, and limiting beliefs we’re hanging onto, deliberately or not. There are lots of files labeled “Past” stored in that bin, more often than not. But, unlike recyclable physical items that can be used and be a benefit to others, our “emotional clutter” benefits no one, least of all us; it just takes up inner space that could be used in better ways. However, just as some recyclable items can be reformed or converted into something that does benefit others, there are ways to use your emotional stuff to help others. That’s just not the way it’s generally used.

And there’s the need to self-monitor throughout the day, when you notice you’re not feeling or performing the way you’d prefer to as an individual. This doesn’t always feel as easy as it might seem it should. We like to think we’re doing everything right or as best as we can. When we see this might not be the case, we may pull some attachments out from one of those three areas and basically add more fuel to the fire.

Let’s face it, we’re not computers. We may think we’ve deleted a negative attachment (sometimes we really do), yet, abracadabra, it shows up again, and again, and again. But with awareness, we can lessen its influence each time; we can lessen our reactions when such thoughts reappear. We can look at the three parts described here (attachments, temporary files, recycle bin) to see which one we’re stumbling around in and identify what we can do to clear an attachment from our inner space, as much as possible at that time.

One way to do this is to choose and use one word like Serenity, Beauty, Peace, Love, Trust, Abundance, Prosperity… any word that conveys energy opposite of the energy the negative attachment holds over you, and repeat that word throughout the day. One thing: You have to mean it for it to create an inner shift that leads to an outer one. This practice may seem simplistic, but it’s effective. Add this step to your Awareness ritual and see what happens. Just know it takes more than one go at this. Use one word (or up to five) every day for a week and let me know what this experience is like for you.

Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer