Smash The Chains: Beware Of What Keeps You Linked To Old Stories
Brigitte
What Physically Keeps You Linked to Old Stories?
When Gail was about to move, she decided to buy new furniture. She looked around her house to see if there was any special piece of furniture she wanted to take with her. Her gaze landed on the antique sewing cabinet in her living room. It’d been handed down to Gail from her mother.
Gail had spent years sewing, but she no longer wanted this family heirloom. Looking at the cabinet filled her with sadness and anger. Growing up, her mom had constantly criticized Gail’s sewing. The cabinet reinforced Gail’s old story that she wasn’t good enough.
She hadn’t realized it until that moment but she’d associated the story with her mom’s unkind comments. Because Gail was ready to let go, she decided to get rid of this heirloom.
As she released it, she freed herself from the story that she’d never be good enough and embraced a new story instead.
The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.
Want More Self Care Tips?
1. Evaluate Heirlooms that Steal Your Joy
Have you ever found yourself in Gail’s position, holding onto an heirloom because you felt like it described your story? Maybe it’s the set of cheap china plates from your grandmother and the belief that you’ll always struggle financially. Or maybe it’s the hideous clothes that Aunt Martha gave you that represent who you think you should be.
But just because an item was given to you doesn’t mean you have to keep it. Get rid of gifts that pull you down and remind you of negative experiences. It can be exhilarating to donate or throw out items that keep you mired in the past.
2. Don’t Hold onto Brokenness
Heirlooms aren’t the only items that can keep you physically linked to old stories. Broken things can, too. For example, after filing the divorce papers to end her abusive marriage, one woman came home and immediately began repairing holes in her wall.
These holes had been created when her soon-to-be-ex had punched the wall repeatedly in a rage. For her, fixing the holes signified a new beginning. She and her children would no longer live in brokenness.
Is there something in or around your home that’s broken and troubling you? Maybe it’s a faucet that continually drips or the socket covers that need to be replaced. Fixing broken things can help you release any old story so you can begin a new one.
3. Learn to Let Go
If you want to surround yourself with things that make you happy in a space you love, read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. This inspirational book will help you assess your things and challenge you to rid yourself of possessions that keep you from living your best life.
As you organize your home and get rid of heirlooms, you dislike and broken things, remind yourself that you’re not just letting go. You’re making space for your present, and that’s a powerful activity that will change your life.
4. Make room for new memories
If you ever held onto something because it became your “security blanket” there will always be a time when you out grow it. So what do you do? Well this is an opportunity to do two things address the link or underlying reason as to why it was needed and making room for something new that will help create positive and happy memories. Donate or throw away the items that
6.Renew and refresh your surroundings. Do you feel like re-arranging the furniture in a room or two? Maybe you want to paint the walls or make new curtains. Re-decorating your surroundings is a wonderful way to go in to a new year and banish the holiday blues at the same time. Re-focusing on your surroundings and thinking about any changes you want to make will help you de-focus from the slumps.
7.Re-connect with an old friend. There’s something so wonderful about making that call you’ve wanted to make. Hearing your friend’s voice again will bring great joy to your heart. It might be a friend from the old neighborhood, a former college roommate or a past co-worker you were once great friends with.
Conclusion
If you’re feeling down now that the holidays are behind you, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll begin to rise above those post-holiday blues when you try some of these strategies. Taking some quality time for yourself during this period can lighten your mood immensely and ignite your excitement about the year ahead.