Does your life feel messy? Maybe turned upside down to the point where you can’t seem to get a grip? This is one of the most unsettling feelings in my opinion, especially being that I like to keep a clean, organized, and ducks in a row environment around me as much as possible. Someone taught me a long time ago that more often than not, when life feels messy and something needs to change, the first place you should take a look at are your surroundings. Typically what’s showing up on the outside is actually a reflection of what’s happening on the inside. It’s true when it’s said that you can usually tell a lot about a person by the state of their car, which speaking of, how is yours looking lately?
“When life feels messy and something needs to change, the first place you should take a look at are your surroundings. “
It always sounds so silly when I say it out loud, so it’s always the last thing that I like to do, but it’s so true that what shows up on the outside is actually a reflection of what’s happening on the inside. This was on my mind as I woke up today and got my morning going. As I looked around at my clean and organized space, I felt extra prepared to tackle the day. My energy didn’t have to be spent on trying to find something, or moving clutter to make space, I could be fully present in what I was doing in that moment. It also doesn’t hurt that I’ve been doing some major journaling and being diligent in my meditation practice lately.
I share all of this because usually when we’re in a state of life that feels messy, all we want to do is remove ourselves from it (this is literally human nature 101); however, removal isn’t always the best option, instead, you have to lean in. If you’re ready to hit the reset button and tidy up what feels like a messy life, try taking a few minutes to clean an immediate space around you (your room, car, desk, kitchen). Everything does not have to get done in one block of time, but at least take the first few steps that you can. A fun tip that I can suggest is to turn on three songs and be hyper-focused on cleaning things up while those are playing (or there is also the “Hey Google, set a timer…” option). When those three songs are over, you’ll be amazed at the difference such a short amount of intentional time can make.
Your environment is an amazing indicator of so many areas of life, especially what’s going on internally. The next time that life feels out of sorts, I would encourage you to pause and run a quick inventory of how you’re feeling, and how the spaces around you might be a display of the state of your heart and mind. Surroundings–whether they’re people, places, or things–are powerful, don’t underestimate this.
With Love,
– LW
LIFE WITH LW 