Some Eastern philosophies hold that the only way to attract abundance is to make space for it. This means clearing away the old, the unwanted — those things that no longer serve you or that resonate with the past and prevent you from moving forward.

Tomorrow is the last new moon of the year, and this is a time of clearing for me in preparation for new forms of abundance.

I’m clearing away physical, emotional, and spiritual clutter. I’m packing up those things that tie me to patterns that no longer serve me — habits of mind and beliefs about myself and the world.

It’s hard going. As I pick through my closets, I am flooded with memories and feel old attachments spark. I have to fight with myself to toss things into the bin or the donation pile.

Oddly, it’s the same with my mental and emotional clutter: I am attached to it. This habit protected me when I felt vulnerable. That way of thinking keeps me safe. This lie I tell myself helps me fit in.

But they’re all shackles — the shoes I don’t wear, the books I’ve already read, the myriad of strategies I’ve used to keep myself running in place instead of moving forward into something healthier, happier, more soul-full. The world taught me to hang onto things, in case of a rainy day, a downturn, a catastrophe. Because we all know those things happen. It also taught me not to dream, to imagine, to desire. Because we all know those things are silly or impractical.

Well, I’ve lived long enough with caution. I’m pulling boxes and bags of stuff out of the dark corners of my home and my soul. And I’m carting them away. It’s taking time and effort — and a lot of boxes and bags — but it’ll be worth it to breathe more freely, move more easily, dare more boldly.