Spring has officially arrived though that is rather hard to believe with the weather staying cold and snowy in the UK. That aside, the arrival of spring is worth celebrating with its connotations of new life and fresh beginnings.  To me, that means getting a new burst of energy to review my life and belongings with a view to simplify in order to optimize. Makes sense? Not sure? Then read on. You know what I mean? Even better! Do read on.

MIND

I’m a believer of thoughts and emotions creating life and reality. That means positive thoughts and emotions are more likely to manifest positive outcomes in our lives. Similarly, negative thoughts and emotions such as worry, stress, fear, anger, hate bring about negative outcomes and are mostly worthless, detrimental to our happiness and health and sucks up our precious energy. But like most people, I get my fair share of these negative thoughts and states. However, I’ve become slightly better at dealing with them through being more aware of them, acknowledging their presence and then letting them go, one breath at a time. Rather than let it explode or overwhelm me, I try to watch it and hopefully nip it in the bud before it spirals down deeper and gets out of control. That does not mean it’ll not come back but I’ve a better grip at managing it rather than it controlling me. Personally, I find meditation to be a great way to calm the mind, be more aware of thoughts and emotions and in the process, build up my energy. When you think  a negative thought or emotion is arising, just watch it, take a deep breath and try to release it or replace it with something more positive.

TALENTS/ PASSIONS

I’m also a believer in doing things we are passionate and excited about; life’s too short to be wasted on things we feel uninspired by, or worse that we hate (e.g. a soul-sucking job). Now is a good time as any to bring the spark back into our lives. If you hate your job, dust off your CV and look for another job that will provide you with more inspiration, worth, money, work -life balance or all of the above. Or start a new business like I did;  I call it an inspired venture. Have always wanted to learn a new language? Make time for it. Learn a new word- one word at at a time. For myself, I’m going to pick up the phone and call the Buddhist Monastery near my home where I attended a baking class months back. I offered my time to provide some extra kitchen help and in return, they’ll teach me how to make croissants. So yes, I hope to learn how to make croissants before spring is over.

RELATIONSHIPS

When it comes to relationships, quality is definitely more important than quantity. I have only 40 plus Facebook friends. I know that’s probably way below the FB average and I shouldn’t be broadcasting it. But I know and want to connect to each and every one of them. Hence, I’ve not said ‘yes’ to many friend requests which are still sitting in my inbox.  Maybe that’s why I never really got the point of Twitter which is more about broadcasting than connecting.  Can you actually connect to thousands of followers? We should surround ourselves with people who truly care and support us, who inspire us and give us the energy to better ourselves. Many cling on to relationships that are past their sell-by date or to people who suck their energy and hold them back. We all deserve better.

FINANCES

For a clean slate and a clear mind, nothing like sorting out the finances. Finances can chain us or free us. The amount in your bank balance might not be what you want to see ( a couple more zeros at the end would be much appreciated- thank you!). Being aware and acknowledging the current status is the first step to taking back control of the situation and making it better. When you recognize there’s a problem, you can start solving it. When you recognize there’s an opportunity, you can start optimizing it. Putting our heads in the sand like a ostrisch will not make the problem go away. From personal experience, little expenditures here and there can really add up; like that latte from Starbucks Coffee every morning. What are the things we don’t need that we are spending money on? And why are we wasting our time and working so hard to earn money and spend it on things we don’t need?

In a follow up post- I’m going to continue my spring cleaning efforts- to focus on time, diet and clutter. There’s much to do but nothing is impossible if we just take it one step at a time.

Letting go isn’t the end of the world; it’s the beginning of a new life.