Usually, when people think of detoxification, they usually think of some sort of drug program. They think of people hanging out and staying clear of drugs. Whether it's heroine, crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, or any other drug, the common definition of detoxification is that people simply stay away.

While that's definitely one aspect of detoxification, it is just one small part of the puzzle. There is a bigger picture to concern ourselves with, and the big picture really turns on issues and toxins that you cannot measure. It is very easy to restrict detoxification to physical toxins. These are things that have an odor, weight. They react chemically. They have a certain impact on your blood chemistry.

But if you really want to detoxify yourself, you have to look at the mental level. What you choose to think about in a moment by moment basis, plays a bigger role in your life's outcomes than you care to realize. In fact, even if you were subjected to the worst form of physical abuse and physical contaminants, you can still manage to do well, as long as you have your wits about you.

As long as you have the right mindset and the right perspective, things will fall into place. Sooner or later, you will find yourself where you need to go. That's how powerful your mental state is. And unfortunately, so many people turn a blind eye to this. They take it for granted, and that's why their lives are full of mental toxins that hold them back, and drag them down, and keep them from the kind of life that they should otherwise be living. Here are three reasons why you should go on a mental detox program.

Reason #1

Say goodbye to the past

The past is the past. The past is made up of facts that happened a while back. Whether it's yesterday or 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, it doesn't matter. It's not happening right here, right now. No matter how bad you feel, and no matter how pumped up you are, you are never going to change the past. Those facts happened.

Your father walked out on your family. Your mother slapped you around. You did drugs. Your girlfriend cheated on you. Your boyfriend treated you like garbage, and on and on. Those things happened. What can change is how you interpret the past. That's the only thing you can do. Instead of allowing your past to get the better of you, today, you can start changing how you respond to it. You can start changing how you process that information.

It no longer has to make you feel like a prisoner. It no longer has to make you feel small, voiceless, and impotent. You can turn things around, because it's all a choice. Is this easy? Absolutely not. Is it quick? Of course not, but it's also absolutely necessary. And the worst part to all of this, is that only you can do it. Not your parents, not your lover, and definitely not your boss, you have to step up.

Reason #2

You gain perspective

When you're so focused on the things that you think should be important in your life, you end up, sooner or later, going around in circles. You put in all this time, effort, and energy trying to get things to happen in your life, but it seems that somehow, someway, you always end up in the same place. This is not an accident. In fact, it is to be expected. How come? You don't have a plan.

When you try to get from point A to point B, and you don't have a map, much less a compass, how are you going to get there? When you let go of mental toxins, you start developing an appreciation for direction in your life. Sooner or later, you become more efficient in choosing the right path for yourself.

Things that happened in the past no longer have a hold on you because now, your map is in the present moment. All that matters is the moment happening right now. You are able to maximize your personal focus and willpower on the things playing out right now. Accordingly, you are able to direct the present to the future you want for yourself.

Reason #3

Mental detox leads to better self-love

I'm sorry break this to you, but you have to love yourself. You have the ultimate responsibility of loving yourself. No matter how much your partner says he or she loves you, it will never match the love you can give yourself. Please understand that for you to love others, you must first learn to love yourself. By the same token, for you to be able to respect other people, you must first begin with a fundamental understanding of self-respect.

You can only give what you have. If you don't respect yourself, how can you expect to respect others. The same applies to love. When you do mental detox, you reclaim your ability to love yourself. You no longer are a people-pleaser. You no longer try to live based on other people's expectations. You are no longer live in your life based on some sort of schedule set by other people.

Instead, you focus on what's important and you reclaim ownership over your life. That is real power. That leads to your real identity which leads to real self-love, and when that happens, you are able to love others in real terms. Not in stereotypes, not in formulas, not in any kind of artificial way, we're talking about the real thing. Because ultimately, we know what real love is - it's sacrifice.

In other words, you're willing to let go of your needs just to make somebody else happy. Sacrifice is real love, and unfortunately, most of us don't have that. Most of us deal with toxins that eat away at that self-love, and replaces it with a counterfeit of self-gratification and self-absorption. I don't know about you, the last time I checked, the $3 dollar bill still fake. Nobody is going to take a $3 dollar bill. Stop feeding yourself emotional counterfeits.