BIG 3 INVENTORY
To get even more liberation,
I periodically take an inventory of my Resentments, Grief and/or Fears.
A periodic deep clean like this is a top-down approach.
I choose when to do such an emotional deep clean wisely, though,
because it can stir up a lot of negative emotions
that aren't normally near the surface.
This can be disruptive and feel painful and/or re-traumatizing.
In addition to bringing negative emotions (such as anger) to the surface,
it might cause some dissociation and/or cravings to show up.
I try to carve out 4 weeks to complete a deep cleaning.
I try not to drag the process out too long,
because that will lengthen the amount of time
I spend with the negative emotions stirred up.
I pick a month when there isn't anything majorly stressful going on in my life
(such as moving or starting a new job)
and when there aren't any social events or gatherings that I need to show up for.
I clear my calendar of commitments as much as possible and
avoid scheduling new appointments or social engagements during this time.
I avoid doing a deep cleaning right before or during the holidays,
especially a Resentment inventory.
Holidays can be stressful enough on their own.
Plus, I might be spending time during the holidays with some of the people I feel resentful towards.
I try to avoid them while my negative emotions are being brought up to the surface (to be cleared out).
These kinds of deep cleans can be especially painful the first time we do it.
Also, if we have done similar inventories in the past without neutralizing the underlying trauma,
we might feel reluctant to undertake one again because we did not get full relief.
Some of the same resentments, fears and grief might still be alive for us.
Once I experienced the liberation that comes from doing a deep clean with a focus on
neutralizing past trauma,
I looked forward to doing them in the future rather than dreading them,
and future deep cleans were not nearly as painful.
I always come out on the other side of an emotional deep cleaning experience with a new perspective
and a new understanding of myself, other people, life, and the world around me.