It may be beautiful but it is still dead leaves! What is it that you are still carrying around that you might be better off without in 2010?

I am talking about stories. Old stories. Stories that are not serving you anymore. These are not stories of hope and success in your life, they are normally stories of lack or fear. These are the stories to seek and destroy.

And I mean DESTROY. I mean the kind of destruction from a forest fire or tsunami. No trace left. Obliterated. Now that you understand what I mean by “out with” let’s go excavating to find out where you may have hidden some of those old stories. They are often connected so release all your stories together. Write them in pencil on plain paper. Do not write a book. Recording the central thought is good and you don’t need to add detail.

Let’s start with something easy. Get rid of those old clothes. Only things that fit and have been worn in the past 12 weeks belong in your closet unless you are a retail outlet and even then it should only be 16 weeks…smile. If it is your favorite then it would have been hanging on your body lately. Give it up…for good. Chances are there is something negative stored in your reasons for keeping it write that story down on your paper.

That was relatively easy, there was something tangible (clothing) that your stories were clinging too. Now let’s look for other “things” that have stories. Do you have any “left over gifts”. These are gifts you kept for another and not for yourself. You do not like them and do not want them but you have kept them. Throw them out or give them away. They do not belong to you and another would love to own them. Let the universe decide their next home. Write down the story.

Now is the harder part. It helps to make a list of these. Allow yourself to record all the “badness” in your life. If I could summarize it as one word it would be “fear”. Let those fears arise to the surface. Let yourself be aware of them and then record them.

Now we create history. You can choose either water or fire for your release. Neither is better than the other. Simply allow yourself to choose that which resonates with you.

Water release – wrap your paper around a rock. Tie the paper to the rock with string, thread or whatever works for you. Bind it to the rock. Once bound you are ready to find a body of water to throw the rock. The water will dissolve your stories and cleanse your mind.

Fire release – fold your paper into a funnel, bend the bottom over and hold it up and open like a flower over a dry stainless steel sink or other fire-safe receptacle. Light a match. Drop it in and drop the funnel. Watch it burn. Now rinse the ashes away.

Congratulations your story is now history and you are free to live in the moment.