Draining out the Dirty Bath Water

Draining out the Dirty Bath Water

A little history: Back in the dark ages, people took baths once a month. A huge tub was filled with water, and the eldest male in the household got first dibs. Everyone bathed in the same water according to their status in the household, and the baby was the last in line. Ever heard of the phrase-"Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater"? Well, this is where it comes from. The bath water would be so dirty that by the time it was the baby's turn, it did take a real effort to distinguish him or her from the dirty water.

While disgusting, this is an excellent analogy for how we often forget to drain out those things that become a nuisance to us. These are known as energy drains, and often suck up much of our time and energy. In essence, we start living in the everyday muck and disallow the energy to flow freely. This keeps us from distinguishing the real opportunities (the baby) from the bothersome (the dirty bathwater).

When I first start working with a client, I have them do a clean sweep assessment of sorts. They get the pleasure of listing all those irksome things that they tolerate, and then one by one we work on clearing them out. An energy drain is any type of toleration that bothers you, distracts you, or keeps you from enjoying fully. It is something you just "put up with" rather than enjoy or love. Removing these drains allows you to not only free up time and space, but also allows you to raise your vibration. The Law of Attraction states that we attract what we vibrate-our thoughts and feelings equal our vibrations. Just clearing out the little nuisances from our everyday life can help lighten our load and raise our vibrations considerably. It is harder to attract what we want into our lives when so much of our focus is on what we don't enjoy.

Over the past few days, I have really taken this principle to heart and done some dirty bathwater draining myself. Here are a few examples:

1) I unsubscribed to at least ten e-zines and newsletters that I barely ever read. As I went through my email, I realized that I had outgrown many of those interests (easy baking). I kept only those subscriptions that provided real value and those that often bought a smile to my face. I immediately felt so much lighter! This also reinforced in me the goal of always keeping my own newsletter full of relevant and fun information.

2) I cleaned out my car. I travel a lot and I admit to using my car as a spare closet. The messy car (definitely not my style) was a major energy drain. Every time I sat in it, I felt my energy drop. Now when I sit in it, I feel relaxed and enjoy my drives much more. It really helps to know where my favorite cds are stored!

3) I bought a new hair dryer. If you have ever met me in person, or even seen a picture, you will know that I have long, thick hair which requires some care. Every other day I used to spend at least 20 minutes just drying my hair. (To all the ladies reading this-I think you can attest to the fact that drying your hair can be quite an arm workout). I had a horribly slow hair dryer, and I started to loathe the elaborate ritual. It was definitely a huge energy drain. So, after one year of tolerating it, I bought a brand new hair dryer. It cost me a whopping 20 bucks. It is not only much lighter than my old one, but I can now dry my hair in under 8 minutes. Yes, I timed it. = )

4) I canceled my paper statements. I like conserving paper, and having 24-7 access to my bank accounts. Now instead of receiving pages full of expenses, I can just log on and look at them all on one screen. Nifty. Yes, I use that word.= )

5) I made a decision to stop trying to revive an old (and very dead) friendship. After calling an old friend to wish them happy birthday, I hung up feeling very sad. As I later spoke to my one and only, he confirmed what I had been feeling all along-it was time to let go. I feel very passionately about the people I am close to and relationships always rank very high with me. While this is something that allows me a deep sense of compassion and connection with others, it can also become a source of pain if I become too attached. This is exactly what happened here. Relationships can also be energy drains. We often try so hard to make the wrong ones work, that we forget about all the ones that make us laugh and bring us love. I am very grateful because I am surrounded by many such people of light. And although this toleration was the hardest to sever, I feel so much better for it.

After doing these five simple things, I have seen improvements all around. I urge you to look at your own life and see how much dirty bathwater you can drain. Once you do that, I guarantee that you will see "seemingly unconnected" abundance flowing into all areas of your life.

Here is to reaching for a divine life!