It’s time to clean up…on the inside

What does it mean to “purify” yourself?

Picture your home, and in that vision, picture clothes piled up everywhere, trash can overflowing, papers stacked all over the place, food rotting on the counter… I think it is safe to say that almost anyone who sees this picture would agree that something needs to be done– a thorough cleaning and organizing session is definitely in order.

 To the physical eye we are able to recognize when this cleaning needs to take place, but how often do we look inside?

So often our mind and heart are cluttered with ideas, emotions, questions, doubts, memories… When is the last time you took a look around your heart and mind?

This can be understood as the inner eye; this is the ability to look inside of yourself in order to see where you are standing.  Just as you would not allow your outside environment to become overwhelmingly dirty and cluttered, it is even more important to make sure that you do not allow the same to happen inside of you.  When your mind and heart are dirty with negativity or cluttered with confusion, it is so easy to stumble when going about your daily actions. This inevitably affects the ability to work efficiently, care for yourself, care for your loved ones, as well as communicate clearly.

Just as it would be quite overwhelming to try to tackle an entire house that is upside down with trash and clutter, the same can be said for purifying yourself.  For most, the most effective way to begin is to begin one step at a time.  In this case – day by day.  In the morning when you wake up, have a moment with yourself to go over 3 key aspects that you wish to accomplish that involve your character and/or overall self: “Today I wish to: 1) Have more patience with those around me 2) Not worry about things that I cannot control 3) Accomplish [insert task] that I have been putting off.”  If this is a bit difficult, then cut the time that you wish to achieve these things– for example, “For the next hour I wish to…” or “This morning I wish to…”  Ultimately, you will begin to see that the time that you have set your mind to accomplish these 3 things will begin to extend.  Before you know it, you will be creating good habits for yourself.

Before you go to bed, take a moment to look over your day:

What occurred today that I know I can improve upon?

What was I unable to complete?

How can I handle [insert situation] better next time?

These 2 moments, no matter how long or short, that you set aside for yourself can absolutely change your life.  This is one way to practice walking meditation, which is intentionally bringing to mind an awareness of your inner self and checking your thoughts as you go about your daily activities.  Throughout this process you will begin to feel a much greater sense of calm and tolerance, both of which will lead you to become more grounded in your daily life… Thus you will be less available to being moved easily on an emotional level.  This “groundedness” and clarity are what allows these good habits to become part of you and lead you in your daily life. You are left without regrets, unhappiness, and stress.