Living spiritually is all about letting go, but what a challenge it can be! We often hold on to our experiences, and this blocks the spiritual flow of life. These blockages create unhealthiness. They keep us from living fully, but we have the power to let them go.
I have found that when I act separately from the universe by controlling, expecting, and even wanting things, I experience frustration and struggle. When I plan too much, I lose the spontaneity that makes life work.
As writer Guy Finley states, “Anything you have to control controls you” taking away your natural freedom. Control creates a false sense of security that doesn’t satisfy the soul. And it actually wears you down. As teacher Christine Day says, “The effort and energy used to hold on are exhausting you.”
Letting go is the answer. But how do we do this? We have to feel what we’ve been holding on to and then let it go from our beings. We release it and leave it behind.
Instead of creating stress in the future, we can choose to honor ourselves. We can work with the universe instead of fighting it.
I have noticed that when I simply experience life without holding on so tightly, everything seems to work out effortlessly. This became obvious to me as a new mother who couldn’t do it all. I found that it was impossible to plan the day, but if I let go, everything fell into place. I found that when I stopped having expectations, things became more spectacular than I imagined.
It’s ironic that we have more control over fulfilling lives when we let go of control. And when we let go of the weight of the past and future – with all their endless stories and definitions – we free ourselves immensely. Letting go of past wounds and emotions can be very difficult, but it affords immense healing. Forgiveness is the key, and it helps us to remove blame. It gives us clarity for our own sake. Forgiveness enables us to let go of the need to be right even if we were very wronged. It releases our hold on others and allows us to fully accept everyone, exactly as we are.
I have noticed that the beauty in people becomes obvious when we let them go. By letting everything go, we rediscover our trust in the universe and in our deepest spiritual selves. Just thinking about this prompts me to ask, “Am I willing to let go at any moment of all that I’m clinging to?” I have so much to let go of, and when I catch myself feeling tense, I try to remember how it was to be a child running freely outside, laughing, playing and interacting with other children, without a single expectation or obligation. I try to become undefined once again and open to the present moment, where the magic of life resides.
Letting go is a vital part of the creative process. So often we hold onto what we create because it doesn’t feel completely finished or “perfect,” and so we continue to trap it in our minds. When we are ready to give our work to the world, we must detach from it so that it can be received by others. This is a similar concept to giving one’s dreams and problems up to God, for how can God help us with something if we are still holding onto it?
Last night, I had a dream about letting go. I dreamt that I gathered people around a small and deep swimming pool that was half-filled with water. I stood with my back to the pool and took a long fall backwards into the depths as my strongest voice asserted “Let Go!” The observers applauded and I felt truly liberated. I want to carry this symbol of letting go with me walking forward into life.
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