Clutter

Many self-help gurus speak of "centering" as a method to develop a clear mind and happy life. However, I think many people cannot see their center until they do significant clearing of the clutter of their minds. The clearing is a very important first step in achieving an ordered mind. 

Think of a cluttered closet, basement or attic. The clutter itself becomes overwhelming. You take a deep breath and rush through the process of trying to find something in the mess, thereby creating a worse mess in the process. The cluttered space is dusty and even dangerous, because disrupting one thing can result in an avalanche of harmful objects.

The only effective solution here is to empty the cluttered space of all its contents. Objects long forgotten can be examined and evaluated for their usefulness. Detritus can be thrown away, donated or recycled. The space can be examined, cleaned thoroughly and organized with shelving. Objects of value can be placed in clear view, kept clean and ready for use with regular discipline. 

A mind can be a cluttered space. Some of a mind's clutter can be caused by its infrastructure, like a badly designed closet. We inherit brains with certain chemistry and proclivities. Our brains are conditioned by our developmental environments. Some of us are left with brains that are very difficult to organized, clear and use. Some of us have to work harder to keep the deep recesses of our brains well maintained day by day. Some of us need to use psychotropic medications to accomplish the process of clearing the mind. 

Like a closet, the mind must be maintained by the development of daily habits of organization. If you just throw your shoes into a closet at the end of every day, you will soon have to spend a lot of time every day finding the matching shoes you want to wear. The tidy mind, like the tidy closet, allows the user to access information and feelings without having to sort through obstructing rubble every time. This saves time, the most precious currency in a mortal lifespan.