I have a question for you. What's sitting in your inbox? I know it may sound like a silly question, but bear with me. What if in the answer to that very question, lives in the answers to larger questions about you and your life?
For example, what are you procrastinating? What is cluttering your heart and mind? What problem do you long to solve in the world? What could spark more passion, purpose, and meaning?
You see, the things we collect can offer lots of wisdom of what is living alive in our hearts, minds, and souls.
I recently set about clearing out the more than 5000 emails sitting in my inbox. I started from the oldest to the most recent and became amused by the themes that started to emerge.
Playing the piano is an apparent aspiration, as I have collected well over 50 instructional videos. There were the writing and painting workshops that I never got around to signing up for and the accumulated emails that showed me how much I admire individual teachers and thought leaders.
Then there were those remnants of a family issue I spent countless hours dealing with that still trigger uncomfortable emotions. My stockpile of emails also taught me where I spend my money. I came across lots of articles and pictures of travel and destinations that I long to visit.
Most strikingly, I came across snapshot after snapshot I had collected of a much simpler and easier lifestyle. One that evokes envy for those who have consciously created and live such an intentional life.
It's clear now how and why I allowed thousands of emails to congest my inbox. If I deleted those reminders, then I would never fulfill my deepest desires and dreams.
My fear of forgetting helped me become an email hoarder!
However, it is also clear that physically and energetically, those emails occupied space in my heart, mind, and calendar. I can hear those nagging excuses, "When I have time." or "I just need to get through this." And, we can't forget, "If I work more than I could afford, blah, blah, blah."
I do not want to live my life saying, "I wish I had, I regret that I didn't, I am mad at myself that," or "I didn't make the time for"….
The email clutter is just one example of what we accumulate and postpone.
The same could be said for the boxes in the basement, the unresolved issues in relationships, soul-sucking jobs we stay in year after year, and the projects that never get fully completed.
By creating space in our lives, we make room for new possibilities! By creating space in our lives, we invite a greater opportunity to live a more authentic life, which inevitably can lead to more joy and fulfillment!
Your call to action this week is to check out what is sitting in your email inbox and explore what those stored emails are saying about what your heart and soul long for.
If you want to dive in deeper, then I invite you to join Maria Sirois and me for our upcoming 5-week, an online program through Kripalu Insitute beginning July 2nd, called, Making Space for Positive Change.
Maria and I have offered this workshop live many times over the past few years. As a result, I have personally witnessed many dreams that have been fulfilled and lives that have been transformed. I'd love to witness yours.
For a small taste of what to expect, check out Maria Sirois' Tedx talk on Authenticity – it so inspiring,
You can find out more information or sign up for the program here.