When I retired from the Air Force, I bought a house and settled down. I have not made a permanent move since. For somebody who’s spent his entire life moving first with his dad in the Army, and then with the Air Force, I had some things I had to learn. Some of these things took almost 25 years for me to realize. The fact that if you don’t do spring cleanings things just pile up for 25 years was one of those real shockers. I had many others along the way, and it made me realize a few things.
If you had fun using something in the past, and you have moved on from that thing, you probably are not going to return and use it again. The more time grows between the last use and now, the less likely it is going to be used. The higher the likelihood you should give it to somebody who will use it, or just get rid of it. I believe civilians call it ‘Spring Cleaning.’ I used to call it a ‘Permanent Change of Station (PCS)’ move. They would usually happen every three or four years and were an excellent reason to close old chapters and get rid of items no longer being used.
Spring cleaning is not just for material things. It is good to lay those mental worries and problems that we seem to carry with us to rest. If we can’t change it, and we can’t. Is time to focus on the now, and how now helps to propel us to where we would like to go in the future.
I do not want to seem glib and make it look as it is easy as just putting it out of your mind. Because it rarely is that easy. So, here is an idea on how to do it. For those who actually read my work, I know you have read this before. Please bear with me.
Start by getting an empty wastepaper basket. Put the wastepaper basket in the middle of your table or desk or some other elevated flat surface. I want you to go to a position in front of the wastepaper basket and order all negative thoughts out of yourself, and stuff them into that wastepaper basket. Do not endanger yourself in removing the thoughts. Just will them into your hands. Be sure to stuff them in the waste-paper basket down tight so that they can’t get back out. Then take the wastepaper basket outside and dump its contents in the trashcan. If you need to repeat this a couple times to get it all out, do so.
If you live in a place without trash cans, you can do the same thing with the bathroom toilet by filling it with all those old thoughts that haunt you, and flushing. Do not stick any part of yourself into the toilet. This too may need to be accomplished from time to time as old thoughts try to creep back into the memory.
Does it really work? It depends on whether or not you allow it to work or not. I have used this technique with many people I have worked with, and many teams I have led. And yes, it will work, you just have to let it.
Don’t take my word for it, try it.
Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.
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