Part of mind wellness is organization. When I think of organizing I see my car, home, closet, or office space - all of which could use some organization.
What I don't often consider is my mind.
When was the last time you took time to declutter your mind? Clear out the negative thoughts about yourself, the ways you need others to change, and the countless false perceptions you hold in there? If we worked regularly to do this, imagine the space we could create for listening and learning!
It will require some elbow grease (think of a dirty stovetop with its burnt-on char, grease, and grime). We will need to scrub and polish. Put all of those negative and self-defeating thoughts down on paper. For each negative thought you can clean out about yourself, find its opposite and write it on a clean piece. For each change you want to see in someone else, write on that clean paper one way you could react to them differently when they behave that way.
The false perceptions can be the most stubborn of stains. Sometimes we can't even see them at first. Think hard about your recent interactions. Did you perceive judgement, disdain, hostility, accusation? Did you recognize them as your perception of an interaction or did you absorb them into yourself as a reality? If it is difficult to do this looking back, then consider it as you move forward. When you find yourself reading meaning from someone's words, gestures, or body language, stop and consider the possibility of their intent. Could it be that you are reading them wrong? Are your beliefs, insecurities, and perceptions interfering with or influencing your interpretation? If so, what happens when you reset your judgements?
We're cleaning up where we live the most - in our minds.
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