Photograph by Shaunae Teske Photography. Design by Jacob Miller.
To remove vicious cycles we must cleanse.
There is no greater feeling than a clean slate. To start over or begin something new that has no traces of the past. A lot of us, including me, really want to just run away from our problems. We don’t want to face them. It would just be a lot easier to move on and not deal with what just happened. If we don’t talk about it, we will forget about it and everything will be fine. The truth is we really need to cleanse ourselves of our problems to make any great strides.
Forgetting about your problems is usually the worst route you can take.
Why do our problems grow if we bury them? Why do they seem to fight back with twice the strength when we try to forget?
Issues we put to sleep wake with rage.
When we set aside an issue we let it rest. When issues have time to rest they gain strength just like we do when we sleep. So how do we cleanse ourselves of issues we have?
Well I just want to make a few things clear of what I mean by cleansing.
- Cleansing does not mean you forget the past, but that you decide to learn and grow from it.
- It is not always a one time deal. Our issues can return. It is up to us to have perseverance.
- To cleanse is to wash away the bad from ourselves by taking responsibility for our actions. We cannot lie to ourselves.
- Don’t look at cleansing as a selfish act, but an act of humility. You want to become better so you can be better for others. Your strengths and stories can help others when they are weak like you were.
So how do we go about cleansing?
How do we remove the bad things from our life so we can insert the good?
Here are some things I remind myself when I want to restart and grow.
- When you face an issue with another person be prepared to listen more than speak. If you don’t understand how they feel and what they truly think, your words may be irrelevant to them.
- Be prepared to let go. None of us like the idea of removing something we once loved or became addicted to, but if it’s for our own good, be ready to sacrifice.
- Sometimes you are going to have to try a lot harder than you thought. We can anticipate all we want, but be prepared for the worst.
- Never give up. If you want to achieve a higher level of greatness you must be willing to always try.
How has cleansing your life of issues made your life a better one?
