Spring is here, bringing with it the promise of new beginnings. For those new to The Daily Alchemist, I challenged readers from last Saturday’s post to do a spring cleaning of all earthly and metaphysical realms beginning Monday.
How is it going for you?
Monday and Tuesday of the 27/9 Letting Go Challenge felt good—almost too easy for me. I tossed 27 expired food items from the refrigerator and pantry, including eight bottles of my husband’s favorite salad dressing for what I can only imagine was a secret salad society ritual canceled in 2012. About half of the 27 items of clothing I boxed for donation still had tags.
What was I thinking when I bought them?
Day 3: It Takes the Cake
Day 3 isn’t effortless. Choices about what to keep and what to donate or toss begin to feel gritty, like sand working inside an oyster. Two questions become apparent.
What do I need versus what do I want?
Based on the spoiled or expired food I tossed, how much money have I just thrown away? How much am I throwing away regularly? According to the nonprofit Feeding America, Americans waste $1,600 annually in produce they do not eat. Wow!
Then there is the emotional component of letting go, which brings me to Day 3 and the bundt cake pan.
Fourteen years ago, when we moved from Long Island to Manhattan, my husband and I disagreed about his mother’s bundt cake pan. I put it into the donation bin, and he took it out and put it in a moving box. He thought I was being too hasty. After all, the bundt cake pan is an American Institution with its display in the Smithsonian, sharing the stage with the men who invented jello molds.
I told him that I was sure I would never make a bundt cake in my lifetime and made it clear that his second-guessing me about almost every item in the donation bin brought him dangerously close to only one of us moving. May he and the bundt cake pan find happiness together, living in the Smithsonian where every day feels like 1955.
He returned the bundt cake pan to the donation bin.
Fast-forward ten years. We were invited to a Christmas party. When I asked the hostess if she would like me to make something, she said yes, a festive bundt cake would be lovely for the dessert table. Can I make one?
I’m not eager to disappoint people, so I bought a new bundt cake pan. This brings up another good point—letting go of worry about disappointing people. It's worth noting that I purchased a high-quality pan instead of just buying a bundt cake for the party. Since then, I have let go of the notion that only homemade goods truly express goodwill and love.
Anyway.
Roaring with laughter every Christmas since my husband reminds me how I said I would never make a bundt cake in my lifetime. He loves telling this story. Even though the Christmas party bundt cake was the first and last, the bundt cake pan is now part of our marital history.
Should I let go of the second bundt cake pan, gathering dust and taking up space? Does it symbolize throwing more money away? What do I have against bundt cakes, anyway? Are they just too close to Donna Reed for comfort?
Criteria for Letting Go
Suppose I get through Day 3 and push forward to finishing this 27/9-Day Challenge. In that case, I need a framework for thinking about letting go and integrating all the unconscious habits that come to light into conscious changes in my habits. So, I’ve assembled seven tips for letting stuff go.
Trust me, readers, it will be worth it! Once we’ve finished the 27/9 Day Challenge, an exciting new chapter begins, where we reimagine our physical and metaphysical spaces. I’ll explore and write much more about alchemy and its magical processes.
The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new. — Socrates
7 Tips for Letting Go When It Gets Tough
Check the Joy Factor: Look around you. Touch each item and ask yourself, “Does this spark joy?” If the answer is no, thank it for its service and let it go with a smile. Apply this to habits and relationships, too—cherish what brings joy and release what doesn’t.
Simplify Your Surroundings: Decluttering can be profoundly liberating. Clear out the unnecessary, and your focus naturally shifts to what truly matters. This isn’t just about space—it’s about clarity and ease.
Look for Patterns: Alchemists are natural pattern readers. Please take a deep breath and release it. Identify patterns that lead to stress or sadness. Recognizing these can empower you to make changes, cutting out the cyclic sources of the blues.
Face Fears with a Smile: Letting go can be daunting, but remember, it’s also an act of courage. Embrace the process with optimism and allow yourself to step forward in change with an open heart.
Embrace Lighter Emotions: Notice how things make you feel. If an object, a memory, or a person consistently brings you down, consider it time to let go. Shedding these weights can lift your spirits and brighten your outlook.
Promote Growth: Consider whether each aspect of your life is helping you grow. If something is holding you back, gently release your grip. This is your permission slip to leave behind what no longer serves you and foster what helps you thrive.
Learn to Love Impermanence: Life is ever-changing, and so are we. By welcoming impermanence, we learn the beautiful art of letting go. Every ending is a new beginning.
So, About that Bundt Cake Pan…
Spring cleaning is more than a chore—it’s a ritual of renewal. As we let go of the old and make space for the new, remember that each item released and each habit dropped is paving the way for new magic to enter.
I’ve decided that my new spring cleaning ritual includes making a lemon poppyseed bundt cake. It will be a lovely, sweet reminder of the courage to reframe and to change, shifting energies in a new direction.
If you have a favorite lemon poppyseed bundt cake recipe or a story to share, please get in touch. I want to start writing profiles about readers like you!
And remember, Saturday is the next check-in for the 27/9 Day Challenge!