Generally speaking, I don’t think many of us like cleaning house. I have a couple of friends who enjoy it and do it like every other day (which seems pathological), but personally it takes a lot for me to clean a toilet bowl or dust a bookshelf. I could be doing better things with my time. Plus, we all tend to think our shit doesn’t stink…if we can live with it, can’t everyone else?
The short answer is, no. Mess is stinky. And much like we loathe cleaning out the old cobwebs and layers of dust that have settled into our homes, we also must clean out the ones settled within us. (And like with our homes, we clean for others as well as ourselves—we want to enjoy the place where we hang out, right?)
By this I mean it’s important every now and then (maybe more often than that) to take an honest look at ourselves, and see what baggage/ dirt/ dust we’re carrying around with us. The stuff that affects our lives and those closest to us. You know those old bad habits that you have, the ones that keep you spinning in circles rather than moving on? It doesn’t matter what they are – grievances, bitterness, fear, worry, etc. They are like the layers of dust collecting in the same dark corners of the house that we ignore. At some point, they can start to make you sick. At some point, they build up so much that you can no longer ignore them.
It’s hard to take stock of ourselves, to see what we can change. I tend to retreat emotionally when I’m fearful or worried or sad, and so those feelings can build up in me. Build-up, as any housekeeper can tell you, is never a good thing. Think of the calcium deposits in your sink or your bathtub. It just makes it that much harder to clean. Which means the more I engage in this type of behavior, over time, the harder it will be for me to change.
I don’t have the answers, but I know it’s the small steps that can lead us to a different path. If I can make small changes, then this process will lead to bigger changes in my life. Maybe it’s admitting when I’m wrong, or letting a friend know if I’m scared or nervous, or expressing my feelings when I’m angry rather than turning inward. It’s all about making the smallest of efforts, one step at a time. When you clean, you have to start somewhere. And even if you don’t get all of those dark corners, it won’t be so hard to clean the next time, or the time after that.
About Kelly Seal
Kelly is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, CA. She blogs about dating, relationships, personal growth and what "healthy living" means to her. You can follow her on Google+, Twitter @kellyseal or through her website www.kellyseal.com.
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