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Experience Life - Throw Out The Things That No Longer Serve You

By Mark Victor Hansen

Everyone has a past - both good and not so good. Everyone has personal "stuff" they have gone through that has helped to create the person they are today. And while you can be grateful for your life experiences, you don't need to hang on to the "stuff" - the emotional, mental and spiritual pains you have experienced - that brought you to this point.

Sometimes the "stuff" stays with us longer than we need it to. It sticks to us like invisible sticky notes. Your parent's divorce - it's on a yellow square stuck to your stomach. That high school sweetheart who broke up with you before prom - it's a fluorescent green sticky note over your heart. Your 4th grade teacher who called you "stupid" when you answered a question incorrectly - it's written in all caps on a purple note, stuck on your throat. These things are part of you. They have served you in the past in some way - as a protection device, etc. But, at the same time these things have prevented you from living your life to the fullest, from experiencing everything deeply.

The day has come to take off the training wheels. It's time to live life without a safety net.

To winter clean your personal "stuff," you'll first need to take inventory of what you have collected. Go to a quiet place and sit down. Place a small wastebasket beside you. Take out a pen and a journal or notebook. Close your eyes and picture yourself standing in front of you. Now, look closer at yourself - there is a protective, plastic cover wrapped around you. It's preventing you from really connecting with the world. And it's preventing the world from connecting with you. Reach out, yes, physically reach out, and pull the plastic off your protected self.

Now you are able to see those emotional, mental and spiritual sticky notes that have attached themselves all over your body. Start at the top of your head and write down the information on each sticky note. Maybe one of them reads: "I'm not smart," or "I'm not good enough." Once you have taken an inventory of your "stuff," examine each of them.

As yourself these questions:

• Where did this idea come from?
• How did it serve me?
• Why is it still here?

Once you know these things, it's time to let them go, one by one. How? Speak to each of them and say: "Thank you for serving me in my past. But I no longer need you in my life. I release you." Then physically reach out, remove the sticky note from yourself, wad it up and toss it into the wastebasket. (Yes, I know this may seem a bit "strange," but your mind and body responds to physical action.) Once you have removed the item you'll need to replace it with something - so you won't feel like Swiss cheese.

Come up with something fun - maybe you'll replace each sticky note with a gold star or a happy face. Whatever you like. Repeat this for each sticky note. When you have removed them all, take the wastebasket out of your home and dump the remains into a dumpster or outdoor trashcan. You may feel a bit sad, tired or awkward after this exercise.

You've lived with this "stuff" your whole life - it became a part of you. These feelings will pass within a day or so. This exercise will allow you to take inventory and remove your personal "stuff" that has held you back from experiencing life to the fullest. Take the time to complete it and soon you will feel lighter and more energized than you have in years.

Article by Mark Victor Hansen, Co-Author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of book. For over 26 years, Mark has focused on helping people reshape their personal vision of what's possible for themselves.