To be successful, a grocery store must keep fresh produce, fruits, and meats available and on display. Haven't you seen red, juicy meat that, while cooling behind the glass, seemed to say "Take me! Take me!"

Fresh berries, either loose or in containers, saying "Try me and you will never go back to canned fruit again?" Milk and cream that you just know are fresh?

Boxes of cereals and other foods that are clean and not crushed? Undented and clean cans of food that seem to call you over to them?

These displays do not just happen. Proper management gets on top of the situation from the start and then follows through with regular inventory! And the businesses profit.

Your thoughts and minds can use the same sorting and cleansing. When you perform similar maintenance to your thoughts, your mind will have a firm foundation and be ready, able, and willing to take on any tasks that you face.

As important as a good foundation is, you should remember that it is a foundation. And, a foundation needs structure placed on it to complete the project.

Just as a skyscraper building needs a good foundation to stand the test of time, it also needs the rest of the tower to be complete. And it is also so for the skyscraping program of your mind.

How do you build on this foundation? First, get rid of the debris from your life that hindered your emotional growth since you began drinking alcoholically or practiced self-aggrandizing.

You are only as sick as your secrets and this debris is being borne as your secrets. A thorough inventory starts your cleaning process. It is nothing to be feared because, by acknowledging the debris that is found, you can rid yourself of the extra weight in your mind.

Wouldn't it be great to get a night's sleep without the fears, both known and unknown? By writing your inventory, you put it out there and can finally begin to see and get rid of the debris.

Don't list only the evil or bad things that are there, but do list a complete inventory. When a grocery store takes inventory, it counts the fresh fruit and veggies and clean boxes, not just the rotted items, torn boxes, or dented cans.

Now that you have brought these things to the front of your mind, not still hidden deep in your head, you need to rid yourself of them. This is when you admit to God, yourself, and another human being the exact nature of your wrongs.

This is probably looking much like a 12 Step Recovery Program to you. News Flash! It is! This is further proof that you can benefit from these principles, even if your addiction is chocolate or simply being happy.

One great object of the inventory process is to let another share your load, which cuts it in half. No matter how strong you are, you probably could use some help carrying your loads sometimes and here it is.

Once you get through these steps, you are so much closer to being Happy, Joyous, and Free. I have said many times that life just keeps on getting better and this is one way of jump-starting this improvement. What do you really want?

Thank you, God!

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An interesting writer for ILLUMINATION and other publications is Rick Allen.