When it comes to any cleaning project, I bring in the big guns. Before grabbing the trash bags, I make sure to listen to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by one of my favorite people, Marie Kondo. At this point, I’ve been through the book multiple times, but this go-around I heard something I hadn’t grasped onto yet. She explains that the reason she was never happy after tidying because she was always focused on what to get rid of rather than on what to keep. 

Wait a minute, Marie—I do that exact same thing with my personality. I’m so focussed on what I want to toss, I forget to honor all of the parts of me that spark joy.

I was recently planning to spend time with someone in my life who is routinely judgemental of me. In anticipation of seeing this person, I started to get more judgmental of myself. Someone brought it to my attention that the judgment of that other person was bringing out my own inner-critic. Bingo! I think it’s time for a different kind of spring cleaning.

A couple of things… Marie’s discovery reminded me to make sure I’m not so consumed with what I have to fix that I forget to focus on what I want to honor. But, I also have to be careful when judgmental people seep into my life. It turns out, taking the time to think about what I love about myself was the perfect antidote to the negative scrutiny that proverbially builds up without my even realizing it. 

As garbage bags, boxes, and old furniture find their way out of our house, I’m filled with a distinct feeling of lightness. But that lightness comes from looking around at new spaces that are cleared and filled with things that serve me, not from constantly thinking about what we tossed. If I can keep my attention on the parts of me that foster peace and self-acceptance, rather than on the things I feel need fixing, that’s some pretty effective spring cleaning, if you ask me.

As always—thank you, sweet Marie!