Emotional Spring Cleaning: What Did You Have to Be for Love?
I was about to write something seasonal about emotional spring cleaning—how clearing space in your environment makes room for new opportunities. But something deeper bubbled up instead…
a question.
Whose love did you crave most in early life? And what did you have to BE to receive it?
The Roots of Who We Became
For me, it was my grandmother. I craved her love deeply. She was a wise, intuitive psychologist, and I always felt like she saw into my soul. I never had enough time with her, but I knew what she valued—and so, from a young age, I shaped myself to match.
To win her love, I believed I had to be:
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Emotionally connected
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Intuitive and self-reflective
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Aspirational and authentic
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Hopeful, wise, and grounded
These became the core traits I aspired to. And when I’m not living in alignment with them, I feel off—like I’m falling short of who I’m meant to be.
Emotional Spring Cleaning: Releasing Old Identities
One of the most powerful tools for emotional spring cleaning is reflection. Ask yourself:
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Who did I have to be for love?
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Are those traits still serving me?
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Which ones are mine—and which were shaped by someone else’s approval?
Sometimes the identities we adopt in childhood help us survive or succeed. But later in life, they can feel limiting, inauthentic, or even harmful.
If the qualities you embodied for someone else were negative or disempowering, this is your invitation to let them go. Emotional spring cleaning is about clearing the old stories so you can consciously choose who you want to be now.
✨ Create Space for the Real You
Even if life has challenged or buried your best traits, they are still within you. Think of a time when someone affirmed those parts of you. That moment of recognition can be your fuel.
Authenticity isn’t something you earn—it’s something you uncover and return to.
Hard times can help you remember who you truly are.
Let this season be about clearing not just closets and drawers—but also patterns, expectations, and roles that no longer fit. That’s the heart of emotional spring cleaning.
✨ Journal Prompts for Your Own Emotional Spring Cleaning
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Whose love did you crave growing up, and what did you feel you had to be?
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Which qualities still feel aligned—and which feel like a burden?
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What qualities do you now choose to embody?
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What will you clear away this spring to make room for your most authentic self?
You Can Always Start Again
As adults, we can choose mentors and models who reflect our values. We can let go of the pressure to be who we once needed to be—and step into who we truly are.
So I ask you again:
What will you choose to clear this spring?
What would it look like to start fresh… from your heart?
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