Over the last month or so, I had the biggest spring cleaning of my whole life. I went over everything physical, digital, and human in my life like a tornado. I gave away and threw away several cubic metres of objects of all categories, from the clothes cupboard down to the cellar and everything in between. I cleared several gigabytes of documents of all sorts, lost several dozens of contacts from different phases of my life including the present, cleaned everything, made so much space and light around, it’s incredible. And now, the few things I’m left with look so beautiful and give me so much joy.
A spring cleaning is a powerful ritual, and spring is one of the strongest allegories of renewal, rebirth, new starts, new life, fresh inspiration.
And an interesting thing I noticed was, that memories were sorting themselves out as well. Even though I’m used to meditating and taking good care of my inner space, this time I didn’t do anything consciously. I just observed how many useless memories and thoughts started fading away as the physical clutter started disappearing. And there too, the ones which are left, are now shinier and brighter and stronger. The saying goes: As within, so without”, but this time it was definitely “As without, so within” for me.
My beautiful hometown Naples, Italy, has been on my mind a lot lately. I haven’t been back in years, but it’s always present in my life through its music. And while sorting through my sound files, I came across this recording from a couple of years ago, of a famous Neapolitan song, “Anema e core” (soul and heart). It warmed my heart, thinking back about my friends and these beautiful recording sessions, and so I posted it with a few Bella-Napoli-Nostalgia-Tourist-Office-style pictures 😊.
Joking aside, Naples is an absolutely amazing place, maybe an idea for your post-lockdown travel destination list?
Simona, I love this. When we clean and clear our homes and our minds we open the door to possibilities.
Thank you Larry! Yes absolutely, I’m convinced of this. And not only because we can then move within our physical space with more ease. I think there’s more to it, the possibilities you talk about can be at a much deeper level of consciousness and action.
Lovely post Simona. I loved when you sais ” And now, the few things I’m left with look so beautiful and give me so much joy.” I share this concept of clearing and cleaning spaces and areas of our home. I have been doing little areas at a time and it feels amazing to simplify our living space. I would love to visit Italy. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Nathalie. it’s true, isn’t it? Our inward and outward realities tend to mirror each other. I remember as a kid, they would always tell me that a messy room and a messy desk were the portrait of a messy mind… Somehow, simplifying our living space does simplify our mental space as well.