Good messes vs. bad messes. ✎ By Wayne K. Spear

Photo courtesy of udge, on Flickr

Messes can be figurative or literal.

You’ll find them in your thoughts, your relationships, your habits, your closets.

Messes can be emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual. Often they are more than one of this list.

My son cleaned his mess. When he was done, he was amazed at how big his room was, beneath all the chaos and clutter that had made it seem cloistered.

How do you feel when you walk into a mess? Your emotional state is related to your physical environment, whether or not you are consciously aware of it.

A cluttered mind can be creative. For years I had a desk that raised eyebrows. I have lived a messy life.

When I was single, my apartment was immaculate. There was a place for everything, and for everything a place. It was great.

Then we were two, and three, living in an apartment. I bought a house. There was much more space, and then much, much more material possessions.

I had a semi-finished basement that we turned over to my son. It was nothing but wall-to-wall toys. When he outgrew his Lego, it filled three large garbage bags and probably represented over a thousand dollars of spending. (We sold it for a hundred dollars.)

The point is that I have not lived a life of austerity and simplicity.

The mess of my son’s play was a creative, fun mess. Allowance should be made for messes.

I am learning the distinction between a good mess and a bad mess.

In his book, Double Your Income Doing What You Love, Raymond Aaron advises us to make a list of our messes.

Pick one each month and clean it up. Maybe it’s a relationship that has gone sour, or a problem you’ve allowed to fester because you don’t want to face it.

“Abundance is everywhere,” writes Aaron, “but you lock it out with every mess in your life.”

He’s right.

Some messes are fun and creative. Others are toxic. They clutter your mind and spirit, and they make you feel anxious and overwhelmed. They are a burden that prevents you from experiencing freedom.

Make a list of your messes.

Clean them up, and feel free.