Yes! It is that time! The birds are chirping. The bees are buzzing. We see ants crawling around. We have changed eating habits. Vibrant colors have taken over our workplaces and church services. Sunshades are on and arms are out! It is spring time people! That’s right. Spring has sprung and that means it is time to rejuvenate and revitalize. A big part of that is ridding ourselves of the old and making our spaces so fresh and so clean-clean. One way to do this is by ensuring that we are properly clearing our minds and that means we must properly clear our spaces.

TRANSPARENT MOMENT: When I was away in college, my drive home was exciting. I was always ready to re-unite with my family and could not wait to get there. One day, upon pulling into the driveway, my mother asked me to pop my trunk. No hugs, no kisses, just “girl, open your trunk”! I was a bit baffled, but did as she requested. I had clothes, shoes, purses, backpacks, checkbooks, mail, credit card applications, aprons (I worked as a waitress), church stuff, random papers, old food, lunch bags, receipts, socks, stockings, sandals, boots, cd’s, tapes, hot glue gun, arts and crafts, hair, combs, brushes, makeup and about $750 (NO EXAGGERATION) in cash that we found between notebooks, organizers and wallets – YOU NAME IT! ALLLL of that was in my trunk! I was not embarrassed because, after all, it was just momma looking in my trunk. I didn’t care as I slick hoped she would start helping me clean it out. Well, without one word, she went and immediately pulled our big house trash can over to my car. She started cleaning out my trunk and without hesitation said these words: “By the look of this trunk, your smile means nothing. Something in your life is suffering. I can tell because junk does not reside to this extent when things are going well. This type of disorganization points to an unbalanced life. This is the clutter that lets me know that grades are not doing as well or that you are not paying your bills or that you are running late to work and class – all of the time. I can tell. You need to get your life back together and you will when this trunk is cleaned out.”

WHEW! Lady! Where did you come from? How did you know? Because – Sure enough. She was right. My closet (and under my bed) in my college suite looked worse. My bank account was definitely not in the positive and you can believe that my personal affairs were out of order. The ‘junk in my trunk’ represented other cluttered areas of my life. And I was suffering in silence.

I can share that it was during that time I went through a deep, very deep depression. I was struggling being a church girl with a heavy call on my life and not really knowing what to do with that at such a young age. I wanted to do the college thing, but my church life would not let me be great. I was trying to find myself. Listen. I was a model for the popular drink Hypnotic and was working at a club every Friday night. Yes, me – the church girl. The modeling agency at least gave me a full shirt and I begged them to not make me wear the shorts that had my cheeks showing – and they agreed to let me wear jeans (after plenty of tears, or course).

How did Momma know all of this? It was JUNK in one area that told her everything that was going on. I even went and had a real tattoo stenciled on the upper-left side of my arm. That night, after my trunk was cleaned out, I was downstairs in the basement. I was crying my eyes out. I was sick and tired of the junk in my heart and the junk in my life. It was time to get rid of ‘de’ clutter. Yep! I needed to de-clutter my life and THAT night, I made a commitment to myself that I was going to remove anything that was holding me hostage.

I clearly remember it being about 2AM – I was in that basement and I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I was afraid. Guess who it was? You guessed it right. It was my momma. How did she hear me sobbing into a pillow? I felt like Jonah in the bottom of the whale’s belly. From the pit of my personal hell, I cried. Momma was right there. She said, “I had a dream. You were in a whirlwind with your hand up trying to get out. You were screaming for help. And I woke up to find you.” I tell you what. I got my life right in that moment! This woman was like a being from another planet! Super power? I guess you could call it that. It was the Holy Ghost who had so dearly revealed all things to save my life. And I am so grateful.

I encourage you to de-clutter areas of your life. FREEDOM IS IN DE-CLUTTERING! From the highly acclaimed book entitled, “Getting Rid of the “Stuff” that CLUTTERS Your Life”, author Mae L. Blake records that Americans spend 9 million hours looking for misplaced items due to clutter. Amazing, huh? Tell me. What could you do with the hours you spend looking for stuff? I am sure you can tell me many things. Don’t just tighten up – TIDY UP! When you de-clutter, it makes it easy to think. LET IT GO PEOPLE!! I know. It is hard for me as well. My husband fusses at me all the time. I have been known as a pack rat, but touch yo neighbor and say: “TAH-DAY” – Today is a good day to let it go.

Now, don’t think this will be easy. You will start cleaning and think of EVERY reason why you really, really, reeeeally need to keep “that”. Just let it go. STOP saying you are going to fit it again. It’s been three years hunni – Let it go! Stop making a “just in case I need it” file pile – LET (say it with me) LET.IT.GO (INSERT BIG LOL)!

So with that, let’s get organized, refreshed, revitalized, rejuvenated and clutter-free so that we can think with clarity and operate in the Spirit of Excellence!