Kill Inner Clutter Before it Kills You

Written and shared with permission by Courtney Carver

Like Water by Katie m. Berggren

Like Water by Katie m. Berggren

While physical clutter is not easy to get rid of, it is easy to identify. When you are ready, you can put it in a box and donate it or sell it. Digital clutter, seemingly invisible is also very evident. You see it when you open your email, jump into iTunes or sort through folders on your desktop.

What about your inner clutter? The emotional baggage? The what ifs and if onlys? The why mes? What can you do about that voice inside your head that never lets you fully move forward.

Let’s face it, stress kills. Stress causes or exacerbates disease. Stress makes us sad and anxious.

One of the greatest causes of stress is inner clutter. It’s hashing through things that have already passed or have yet to happen. The worry and angst that you put yourself through will kill you. If it doesn’t literally kill you, it will kill the person you want to be. The person you deserve to be. The person we deserve to know. The person you are.

The most obvious forms of inner clutter include guilt, regret, judgement, overwhelmedness, bitterness, fear and worry. There are others, but most come back to a form of these. They may be a part of life, but they don’t have to be an ongoing part of life. You can release yourself from this inner clutter.

How to Kill Inner Clutter

Responsibility Isolate your inner clutter and take responsibility. If you live with daily guilt, ask why? Is there something you can do right now to apologize or fix what you’ve done? If you identify that you haven’t done anything wrong, perhaps guilt is not yours to feel after all. Will a note or call of apology change the past. No, but it can change the present. Accept responsibility for your fear and anxiety and admit that it’s been holding you back. Only then can you begin to work on a solution. If you are angry, sad, scattered or worried for no identifiable reason, accept that too, and ask for help.

Gentleness You can accept responsibility, even for something you’ve been holding onto for years without the harsh words and critique that you think you deserve. You served your time. Remind yourself that you cannot change the past and revel in the idea that today you will change. Today you will do the right thing. Praise your progress.

read more here: Kill Inner Clutter Before it Kills You

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Be more with less is a blog about simplifying your life and really living. Here, you can learn how to create a life with more savings and less no debt, more health and less stress, more time and less stuff, and more joy with less obligation

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It’s Free Cards Friday! Add your comment to THIS blog post throughout the weekend and be in the running to win some cards ~ I’ll choose the winner on Monday.

Love & Sincerely, Katie

Above image: Like Water by Katie m. Berggren
Acrylic on Canvas, 30×40, original available for $695
Current Location: In Studio
Message from the Artist:
From the first moment I knew she was different ~ I began this painting with acrylic washes, using my trusty and familiar thick paint in a watered down form, which I hadn’t done before.

While fashioning this woman’s figure, I knew this would be a special process – her hair flowed like water over her skin, her lengthy frame, her breast.

When I envision being like water, I visualize complete flexibility, flowing with what the day brings, going with the moment, not getting caught up, yet staying alert and aware.  I summon the grace of water when I find myself feeling tangled or hurried ~ water rhythmically and consistently gets the job done in a hassle-free and unconcerned manner.