Hi, Reader,

It's Sharon from Sharon E. Hines, back with a new edition of the Simple Things Digest.

I'm so glad you're here!

Release what no longer serves you with these powerful tips!

The moment I closed my eyes to go to sleep, there they were...

A green, cartoon dragon whose tail was caught in a door and the collage caterpillar from the popular children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, on the dark stage of my mind’s eye.

As I thought about the caterpillar who munched his way through a bunch of junk food and got a stomach ache, I realized I was the caterpillar.

Earlier in the week, I’d made a big pot of macaroni and cheese, gluten free and dairy free to accommodate my food sensitivities, but nonetheless, after an unnerving week I craved the comfort of cheesy macaroni.

That night, I’d eaten a big bowl of it, after having eight Cinnabon Delights® from Taco Bell earlier in the evening. (And this was on the trail of eating fast food for most of my meals post hurricane, because no electricity for forty hours equals an empty fridge. And no power in the neighborhood, meant few open stores. The ones that were open had lost a lot of groceries due to the extended power outage.)

My belly stuffed, I sat on the couch disappointed, feeling somewhat sick. Not just sick to my stomach, but also sick at the realization that emotional eating was not only no longer serving me, it’s holding me back.

The next evening, I was digging a hole to level the birdbath in my backyard when I encountered some roots. I was immediately taken back to the gardening lesson my dad shared with me years ago. I viewed the underground web of roots as an obstacle, but Dad showed me when I encountered roots, I could cut them out.

And so it is with the roots of our limiting behavior patterns.

"While [limiting behavior patterns] help us for a time, providing comfort and keeping us safe, they eventually stop serving us. That's our call to emerge."

Sharon E Hines · Declutter Expert + Lifestyle Writer

While they help us for a time, providing comfort and keeping us safe, they eventually stop serving us. That’s our call to emerge, to rise up from the old, put away childish things, and grow into a more authentic version of who we’re created to be.

Like the children’s game, Catch the Dragon, emerging is a cooperative effort. We need to cooperate with the call as well as with the wisdom within our hearts. And at times, we may need to call in reinforcements or set up a support system.

The first thing I did was fill my fridge with all the ingredients for an easy-to-make breakfast; a yogurt bowl.

And that leads me to my 5 powerful tips for releasing what no longer serves you:

Determine a replacement for the habit/belief/behavior you're letting go, like my yogurt bowl.
Establish routines to support new habits. Routines are the backbone to habit building. In my case, I'm getting back into my menu planning routine and weekly grocery shopping routine post hurricane.
Build in accountability. One thing I've learned about myself this year is that I respond really well to accountability. You just need one accountability partner, whether that's a friend, spouse, coach, pastor, counsellor, or me.
Create a vision. Write a statement of how you want to be/think/live. Read it daily. Or, create a vision board on Pinterest or Canva with inspirational and motivational images that capture your vision. Either way, create space for this new reality by picturing it as if it already is. One of my favorite affirmations/prayers is "As above, so below."
Understand the root of the behavior/belief. For me, I needed comfort during a crazy week that uprooted my usual routine and threw my nervous system for a loop.