
Lately my inbox has gotten so out of control (yes, I need to address that) that I rarely read emails except from work and family. I’ve gotten super fast at hitting the “delete” key. But one from Lindsay Maloney of Book Your Dream Clients got my attention. She invited readers to participate in a book club to discuss Debbie Ford’s 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse. The idea of doing a consciousness cleanse as part of a group intrigued me.
What is the 21 Day Consciousness Cleanse?
I’ll let Debbie explain it: “It is a profound process for cleaning up the past, getting honest about the present, and envisioning a future unlike anything you?ve ever imagined. This process offers a full-immersion approach to spiritual renewal, emotional transformation, and reconnection with your deepest purpose.”
Naturally, this premise hooked me in. Now, I’m the first to admit that I’m a self-help junkie. Sometimes I feel like I’ve heard every spiritual principle out there. But what appealed to me was that Debbie wasn’t just offering information but an?immersive, transformational?experience.
Personal growth is a lifelong pursuit, and I’m always looking for opportunities to level up
Appropriately, the book is split into three weeks: past, present, and future. Be prepared for a lengthy intro. But it’s necessary to provide the framework for the cleanse and it moves quickly, as Debbie’s writing pulls you in. After that, the book is very much hands-on with only a brief writeup for each day.
Here are five reasons why you should totally do this program. Yeah, I know, I should give 21 reasons, but that would be a very long post!
5 Reasons to Do the Cleanse
1) Get to know yourself inside and out
How well do you really know yourself? I could write a whole novel about my likes and dislikes, but when it comes to the stuff lurking beneath the surface, I didn’t have a clue. Many days I’d have a vague sense of apathy, but I didn’t know where it was coming from.
Each day in the cleanse has a journaling component, and the act of writing shined a light on all my repressed beliefs and thought patterns. Examples from the Past section include, “What do I wish I had never done?” and “What thoughts and statements from others have hurt me?”
You might be thinking, “That sounds miserable!” If you want to perform a full-on spiritual cleanse, though, you need to lift up the rug and uncover all the dirt that’s been obscuring your perception.
Don’t worry, though, it gets more uplifting once you start exploring your soul’s deepest cravings. Surprisingly, we often hide those from ourselves as well! Which leads me to my next point…
2) Stop sabotaging yourself!
It took me longer than 21 days to complete the program. Some days it was necessary to take a break. I’d be forcing myself through the exercises, fighting off sleep, which defeated the purpose.
But I realized that a deeper part of me didn’t want to finish. Because once I finished, then what?
This represented on a larger scale why I’d often start programs and courses and get distracted by the next shiny object. Or why I?m taking so long to finish my novel. Or why I sometimes sabotage opportunities.
It?s because I’m afraid that if I fully commit, I won?t be able to handle the disappointment if it doesn’t work out. If I publish my book and it bombs. If I finish this program and nothing has changed, if everything is still the same-old-same-old.
That way of thinking, I realized, was detrimental to my growth. And that’s why I felt that vague sense of dissatisfaction gnawing at my insides. Because I wasn’t really going for it. Because I was carrying the burden of not completing the things that truly mattered to me.
Getting these revelations down on paper forced me to be honest with myself and address those areas of my life where I was selling both myself and the world around me short by not giving all I had to offer.
3) Be proactive about where you hang out mentally?
Since the name of this website is “generate magic,” obviously I’m a strong believer that we can create our own happiness. This book offers a wealth of actionable ways to achieve this. Each day of the program offers a?morning ritual focused on a different theme: inspiration, integrity, and so on. In the morning, you evaluate, for instance, your “inspiration flame” on a scale of 1-10. Then you set an intention to either raise the intensity of your flame or keep it burning at the same intensity throughout the day.
I’ll be honest. At first, I took copious notes throughout the day on the state of my flame, doing a final check-in before bed. As I progressed, my commitment waned. I’d do the morning practice and then forget about my flame for the rest of the day.
Later, though, Debbie suggests creating ?state of consciousness bookmarks.” This concept really stuck with me. I created a mind map for the mental states I want to most frequently inhabit???wisdom, abundance, and connectivity???and linked to songs, pictures, and activities (like hiking) that would take me to that state. Now whenever I?m feeling overwhelmed or apathetic, I just refer to my mind map!
4) Forge a stronger spiritual connection
Debbie refers to God a lot in this book, which threw me off. Typically these types of books (i.e. “new age”) use terms like “oneness” or “beingness.” I wasn’t offended, but it feel awkward, like maybe her advice wasn’t for me.
Growing up, I went to church every Sunday. The preacher was wonderful, but most of the time I was in my own world. As I said the prayers, I just went through the motions. I never felt that connection with God that people speak of.
Reading the book, though, I was willing to overlook semantics. When you think about it, God/oneness/beingness all kind of refer to the same thing.
Then in Part 3, Debbie discusses a childhood experience much like mine. She never developed a relationship with God until she sought him out on her own as an adult. This is where suddenly I began to relate. All this talk about forming a “partnership” with God seemed like something I could do, too, even if I didn’t belong to an organized religion.
How did I start, though, as a total newbie? Naturally, I Googled, how to talk to God. Then I went to the park, found a quiet spot, and dialed in my request. I felt pretty silly, and I didn’t think anything would happen, to be honest.
But then, I felt a warmth inside of me, and call it intuition/God, whatever you want, I knew that a presence was with me.
Regardless of your beliefs, this practice of regularly seeking out spiritual guidance helps you accomplish two things:
- Set aside all distractions and quiet your mind.
- Recognize that you’re part of a larger whole.
Knowing that you don’t have to go it alone, with only your mind’s negative chatter for companionship, is a huge relief. As Debbie puts it, “Imagine having daily access to your own inspiration hotline and the future possibilities that arise from that.”
5) Map out the bigger picture
Some programs like the Release Technique pride themselves on their simplicity. And I think that’s beautiful. Sometimes in the chaos of life, when it feels like a million plates are spinning in your head, you need to quickly release those emotions and go to your inner quiet space.
Once I’m feeling calm and peaceful, though, I’m ready for the next level.
Maybe it’s the English Lit major in me. I love to analyze — hell, overanalyze — things and understand the “why” of it all.
One eye-opening exercise involved taking inventory of the places where I’m still falling short and the excuses I’ve made for myself.?For ?not honoring my relationships with others,? my excuse was, ?right now I have nothing interesting to talk about, but when I?m a super successful author/blogger, I?ll have TONS to talk about.? Absurd, right? This helped me realize how I was pushing away happiness into some ever-distant future.
Debbie’s writing, along with the journaling prompts, encourage you to analyze your role in the universe and to be an architect of your own personal universe.
What Now?
As expected, finishing the book was bittersweet. Completing the program did not flip on a magic switch where suddenly all my dreams have come true and I’m swimming in cash.
But what this program offers is a lifelong commitment to living out your purpose, not a magic pill. Believe me, I will definitely be referring back to the book and to my journaling exercises. And more importantly, I will be actively carrying out the lessons I’ve learned in this book.
I think the most significant lesson is that I don’t have to waste time on regret or worry, nor do I need to go through life on autopilot. Any time I veer off course, I can tune in to my inner GPS to get back on track.
I invite you to get the book below and then share your journey with me! What was your biggest revelation? What other books or programs have had a major impact on your life?
Thanks for being honest with your self-help journey. So often folks make it seem as though they have never had that inner work to do…. Or that they can not break out of that dark mindset, so it is refreshing to hear folks? transformation from the dark place and into the light. I guess I am obsessed with this process, since our recent journey has led me to CONSTANTLY question everything. Having said that, I might have to try this book to give our inner inquiry a little more structure. Thanks for sharing an ally in our journey to ourselves.
Thanks, Vox! Yes, I think it’s important to be transparent because otherwise people will just feel like there’s no hope or like they’ll never get from Point A to Point B. Yes, structure is a great way of putting it. I definitely need structure when it comes to doing that type of inner work and so I love how the book is organized and the way it was structured pushed me to stick with it.
Living a more conscious life does take work, but I think, or at least I hope, it gets easier with practice. I’m curious to check out this book as I could use a little soul refresh.
Hi Blythe, yes, it’s definitely worth checking out! And you’re right that it does take more work to live a conscious life. Now that I’m done with the book, I have to remind myself to do daily check-ins and make sure I’m aligned with my purpose. Otherwise, it’s so easy to get swept up in the business of life. When I take these extra steps, those, my life is ultimately more rewarding!
I love this idea! I?m going to try it!
Thanks, Angela, let me know how it goes!
This cleansing process is so inspirational. Totally agree with your suggestions on journaling!
Thanks, Leanne! Yes, journaling has definitely helped me to reach new levels of personal growth. There’s something about getting your thoughts down on paper that’s more lasting than simply passively taking in information by reading a book or watching a video.
This consciousness cleanse sounds very interesting. Especially to forge a stronger spiritual connection. I have a hard time quieting my mind. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks for reading, Ye Chen! Yes, quieting your mind is challenging for sure. It’s like house cleaning; it’s an ongoing process!
Wowser. Thank you Mamma for the beautiful compilation. A tough month indeed, looking forward to closing it with my heart firmly centred in the truth of who I am. I wonder why life is so hard and challenging, so often repeated lessons we had thought we had already learned, then I realise none of this matters once you know the truth of who you are and what it is you want. Just waves upon the sea, just weather in the sky. There is no you essentially and no problems either, just the vast space of beingness upon which these illusions play. When I think back to April how sure I was of my path and what I needed to do here, it was epic. I have become lost in the drama which is not mine and lost sight of why I”m here. Just need to attend to that and let everything else fall by the way side, where it belongs! Happy transitioning into October. https://www.vetbizresourcecenter.com/
Hi Donovan, thank you for sharing your thoughts. “Waves upon the sea, weather in the sky” is so beautifully put and sums it up perfectly! Yes, often we need to just make peace with our external reality which is always just temporary and keep focused on our core spiritual purpose and why we are on this earth. Now that I’m finished with the book I’ve found myself slipping back into some of my old bad habits, so today I referred back to the Rules at the end of the book for living a spirit-centered life and it really helped me to get back on track.