Spring cleaning

Once in a while we need to take stock of the things that we collect in our store-rooms and in various corners of our home and work place (an inventory check).  Today, morning was one such day.  I set about clearing some of the things that we had just kept over the years and did not really use.  Such things keep on accumulating and it can become quite a mess.  It can be your workdesk or the kitchen table or the cupboard or the bookshelf.  We look at it and postpone the cleaning until after a few weeks it becomes a mess.  Some of the stuff can be recycled, some can be given to charity and some books can be sold to second-hand bookshops.

The Japanese did a regular inventory check as part of their work.  They termed this as 5S – Seiri (sorting), Seiton (arrangement), Seiso (cleaning), Seiketsu (standardisation) and Shitsuke (self-discipline).  A well-organized workplace results in a safer, more efficient, and more productive operation.  It boosts the morale of the workers, promoting a sense of pride  and ownership in their work.

We also need to do a regular spring cleaning of our mind.  This can be done by reducing the quantity of our thoughts, improving the quality of our thoughts and directing our thoughts towards a higher ideal.  This clears the dirt on the mirror of our mind and we are able to see a clearer reflection of our inner selves.  Contemplation and meditation also help us to keep our focus and to dispel distracting negative thoughts.  All this helps us to live in the present without wasting time brooding on the past or worrying about the future.

A spring cleaning can help us to think about our goals, align our energies towards these goals, plan, let go of self-limiting thoughts by letting go of the old and bringing in the new.  Sometimes, a weekend retreat is a good time to take a break from the chores and recharge.

So, when are you starting your spring cleaning?

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Go – fly a kite!

Flying a kite is so relaxing.  The last time we flew a kite at Woodlands Waterfront.  As I watched the kite flying high in the sky, I thought of how similar flying a kite is to our lives.

1. When you are young you need support:  Initially, your parents help you to stand on your feet and guide you until you are a teenager.  In the same manner, you need some help with the kite to get it off the ground into the air
   
2. Fly high in search of your goals: When there is wind (opportunity) one must fully apply oneself to ones ambitions and soar as high as possible.  When the kite is flying freely it teaches us to reach for the skies.
   
3. Get a holistic view: The view of the kite from above is a birds eye view.  It teaches us not to rush in making lifes important decisions.  It is important to get a holistic view and do proper planning in life.
   
4. Ups and downs are part of life:  When the kite is taking off, it experiences a lot of turbulence and swings from side to side and may even fall down to the ground.  This teaches us that ups and downs are part and parcel of life and that we have to pull ourselves together and make a renewed effort if we are to succeed in life.
5. Tugging the string teaches us to focus:  As we soar in search of our goals, it is important to keep our focus.  If our thoughts stray, then we will lose our focus.  Thus, it is important to tug at the string if we observe that the kite is straying.
6. Rolling the string: However high we go in life, we have to remember to stay humble and come back to earth to take care of our loved ones.  So, at the end of the day we roll back the kite

So, the next time someone tells you to Go –  fly a kite  – You can tell them that you are going to do just that!