Episode 38: Decluttering Inside and Out

In this episode, full of laughter, we explore decluttering, not just our physical space but our inner emotional and psychological spaces. We get curious about what's going on when our minds or spaces are full of stuff we don't really need or want. How might we recognize what's going on and what helps us let go of the clutter?

Here’s what we explored:

  • notice what habitually clutters your headspace, eg worry

  • notice what else you gather or hoard in your life or business, eg courses

  • holding on to clutter in the mind or in our space often comes from a sense of scarcity

  • we often hold on to things because we have a sense they may be needed one day

  • is the clutter a deluded way we try to keep ourselves safe?

  • putting good ideas out for recycling

  • making a parking space for good ideas

  • overwhelm and stress often makes clear decision making difficult, our brains get very dramatic

  • we have periods of indecision and uncertainty and then decisions do get made

  • there is an ebb and flow in our experience: clarity amid the clutter then back in the clutter

  • giving ourselves permission to go with that ebb and flow, get comfortable with it

  • often clarity comes on the flip side of things falling apart, of loss

  • releasing and surrendering to what is, often opens a beautiful space of clarity where there's nothing on our mind

  • finding laughter, softening towards the antics of our dramatic brains and our ridiculousness opens up space

  • seriousness is a red flag, catching it in ourselves often lightens the mood

  • ask yourself, 'if I was light-hearted in this situation, in what way would that be unhelpful?'

  • we experience the world not as it is, but via our perceptions

  • we don't need to change the stories, seeing our stories about ourselves, others and the world is often enough for them to start to lose their grip

  • you begin to get a space for something that isn't a better story but is beyond or before the stories

  • tools and techniques without understanding are just a distraction

  • with understanding, you need fewer and fewer tools and techniques

  • insight is what helps deepen understanding

  • when we are very results-focused, we are imagining what it would mean to achieve the results, but how can we know what the experience would actually be like?

  • notice how many inventive and creative ways we imagine will bring us relief, wellbeing, peace of mind, and security

  • once we identify ourselves with things outside ourselves eg money, relationships, physical health, material things, we suffer

  • as get less and less on our minds, life gets simpler and simpler

  • when we feel flat, paradoxically, our mind's are very busy (even if we are not aware)

  • in a busy mind, we tend to try to control everything

  • as you connect more and more with who you fundamentally are, more and more drops off your mind and our innate wisdom bubbles up more and more

  • often when we think there's a big problem with no solution, it is because our mind is ramped up and we've lost sight of our own wisdom and clarity

  • wisdom comes in all shapes and sizes

  • as you get eyes and ears for wisdom you see it in others and yourself more and more

  • when we try to fix ourselves and others it is disempowering and means we lose sight of wisdom

  • there is a beautiful freedom when the clutter and trying to control falls away

Quotes and References

  • Film: What we did on our holiday (2014), Rosamund Pike, Billy Connolly and David Tenant

  • Jamie Smart says you only have two problems: you have too much on your mind and you don't really know who you are.

  • The deeper you listen, the smarter people get

Thank you for listening, we'd love to hear your reflections and questions.