|
Letting Go…
Good morning! I hope you had a productive (yet relaxing) weekend!
Learning to let go of old habits, ideas, beliefs and people who aren’t
serving our best interests is hard. It’s easy to make excuses for why
we’re not changing. Do you know someone who’s not happy with his/her
situation but refuses to pursue other options?
Sometimes it’s fear of the unknown. I’ve heard people say that “the devil
you know is better than the devil you don’t know.” That means it’s
better to deal with a person you know or choose an option you know –
even if it’s not what you would most like – than to deal with someone you
know nothing about or an option you have no experience with. In
other words, known things are preferred over the unknown – even if they’re
not ideal. That statement seems absurd to me, yet many embrace it.
I also have heard that people sometimes create and maintain problems
because it gives them a sense of identity. Perhaps this explains why we
often hold onto our pain far beyond its ability to serve us. We replay
mistakes over and again in our heads, allowing feelings of remorse,
guilt or regret to shape our actions in the present.
Worry is another way of not letting go. Do you know people who cling
to frustration and worry about the future as if the act of fixation
somehow gives them answers? Science has proven that stress harbored in
our minds and bodies can create serious health issues. Ajahn Chah
said, “If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you
let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.” Though it may sound simple,
Chah’s advice speaks volumes. There will never be a time when every
moment in life is simple and carefree; however, there will always be time
to practice accepting that every moment is an opportunity to let go of
something and enjoy the peace it brings.
Something to Think About
Letting go can be as simple as giving away old clothing and cleaning the
basement or as radical as leaving a long-term friendship/relationship and
changing your entire lifestyle. The feelings of pain and sadness are
perfectly normal; after all, you’re saying goodbye to something that was
part of your life, belief system and surroundings. If you don’t allow
yourself to work through the loss or pain, you might quickly reach back
out for the thing you just let go of. So, as the wildly popular song from
Frozen
advises, “Let it go!”… and then boldly move forward.
Weekly Challenge
There are lots of ways to “let it go.” You can let go of something
about you, you can let go of an emotion, you can let go of a past
relationship, you can let go of stress. Pick one for this week, and let
it go. Here are some examples:
1. Write the word
“Expectations” on a shoebox. Whenever you start
dwelling on how something should be or should
have been, write it down, and put it in the box.
2. Take responsibility. When
you’re angry, you often focus on what someone else did that was wrong,
which essentially gives your power away. When you focus on what you could
have done better, you often feel empowered and less bitter.
3. Reward yourself for small acts of
acceptance. Get a facial after you delete his number
from your phone, or head out with friends after putting all of her things
in a box.
4. Replace your thoughts. Recognize
when you begin thinking about something that stresses you so you can
shift your thoughts to something more pleasant – a child’s smile, a
kitten’s antics or times with those you love.
5. Imagine your life 10 years from
now. Then look 20 years into the future, and then 30.
Realize that many of the things you’re worrying about today don’t really
matter in the grand scheme of things.
Words of Wisdom
“Abundance is a process of letting go; that which is empty can receive.”
– Bryant H. McGill
“Letting go helps us to live in a more peaceful state of mind and helps
restore our balance. It allows others to be responsible for themselves
and for us to take our hands off situations that do not belong to us.
This frees us from unnecessary stress.” – Melody Beattie
“There’s a victory in letting go of your expectations.” – Mike White
“The main thing in making art often is letting go of your expectation and
your idea.” – Agnes Martin
All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding
on. -Havelock Ellis
|
No comments:
Post a Comment