In many Buddhist traditions, monks learn to do things not only for themselves, but for the whole world:
- They meditate for the sake of everyone
- They study to be able to support others more efficiently
- They try to attain enlightenment to reach their full potential and help those in need
When you develop a selfless attitude, your mind stops running in circles around personal problems, it opens up and gets less emotional. That’s how some monks develop a stable and efficient attitude. Sounds too simple to be true? Yet, your personal experience might confirm that rule: don’t you feel strangely quiet and relieved when you reach out to a friend to offer your help?
Isn’t it more difficult to find excuses not to? That’s called inner decluttering: making room for others and dumping selfish habits. Mind clutter is often related to the past. Most people keep a large cabinet of mental drawers stored in the back of their minds. These drawers are filled with mistakes they’ve made, opportunities they’ve missed, people they’ve hurt, past grievances, and so on.
Take the time to go through those mental drawers and discard memories of the past and thoughts of the future that are not serving you well and are just cluttering up your current life. Mental clutter leads to congestion in our inner world. It gets in the way of being able to think clearly, and to focus on what really matters. This year, live your best life by decluttering your mind.
Peace and Love, Jim
