For years I have always started my mornings with a brisk walk. It clears my head and helps me get prepared for the day.
I recall, on one such morning, I noticed a sign painted on a very nice looking garbage can on Broadway. The sign read, “Waste Please.”
I stopped in my tracks and stared at the sign. I read it over and over again immediately sensing a deeper meaning in the message.
We think nothing of hauling out our garbage to the trash and letting it go. We don’t go through the trash sniffing and looking for things we have already tossed. Rather, we bag it up, put it in the trash and let it go.
How ridiculous would it be to walk by trash cans and see people going through each item sniffing and holding onto their trash?
Yet, when it comes to our emotional trash, we hang on to it and bury it deep within the bottom of the barrel, ready to sniff and go over it again and again. As I stood staring at the sign “Waste Please,” I could not help but think of the way we store up tons of junk in our trunks.
Regrets, mistakes, broken relationships, bad business ventures, financial stress, traumatic childhood, low self-worth….the list can go on for miles.
Do we ever really throw these things in the trash and honor “Waste Please?” What do we really have to gain in holding onto our emotional junk and replaying it on speed dial whenever we get the chance?
The fact is it’s difficult to let go of painful emotional junk. Sometimes we convince ourselves that if we hold onto it long enough the pain will disappear, or, even more damaging, we believe holding on will lead to getting the revenge and justification we deserve in being wronged.
Dear friends, LET GO.
Do not spend another minute holding on to past garbage. If you find yourself going through the past repeatedly, take the steps you need to dispose of your junk in the receptacle marked “WASTE PLEASE.”
The best way to work through your emotional garbage can be compared to cleaning out your refrigerator.
Step I: Take Stock:
Take a good look around the fridge. If you can’t see clearly, notice your fridge comes with a light to illuminate the dark areas. If the bread has mold on it, there is no way it is good anymore. Anything with mold can make you sick and immediately induce projectile vomiting.
If you have mold in your heart, acknowledge it and throw it out immediately.
Likewise, trust the light in your heart to point out the darker, shadier areas that are difficult to see.
Recognizing the toxicity of our emotional junk empowers us to move forward in a healthy way, rather than burying something in the back shelf of our hearts.
Step II: Clean Your Shelves:
Once you get a sense of how many moldy expired items you have in the fridge and have disposed of them in the red biohazard bag, grab a paper towel and refresh your shelves.
Emotionally, this means doing whatever you need to do to have closure with your past garbage. Surround yourself with the people, places and things you love and don’t go back to moldy bread.
If you have to confront some people about past hurts, pick up the pen, phone or set up a face-to-face meeting to do so. Recognize that cleaning out your heart can only lead to a lighter, free-er you—emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Step III: Purchase New Items:
You have now thrown out the moldy expired items lurking in your fridge and cleaned up the shelves with some serious wipe down, non-hazardous product that leaves your fridge smelling fresh and looking sparkly.
You know what you need to replenish the supply and you are ready to restock the fridge.
Take the time you need to make good choices about what is good for YOU. Notice I did not say what is good for your spouse, boss, child or pet. Focus on YOUR emotional well-being. This will only make you a better spouse, employee, parent or pet owner.
Don’t spend time re-hashing bad choices or painful experiences. Look at the new shelf space in your heart and begin to fill it up with good, pure, peaceful, beautiful experiences that have meaning and depth.
Resist the urge to revisit old, moldy bread that only leaves you feeling sick and nauseous.
Clearing out the junk in your trunk is essential to experiencing joy, love, peace and prosperity.
May we all look for the deeper meaning in the signs and symbols we see daily. My hope is that you will always remember the importance and meaning of “WASTE PLEASE!”
Wishing you a junk-free heart today and always!
