The Art Of Letting Go
In the ebbs and flows of life, change is unavoidable. Though change is a guarantee, it can make us feel helpless and whimsical, it is a reminder of how little authority we truly have over our life. Everything on earth, like it or not, is forced to bend to the will of nature. No matter how hard one pushes against the change, there are inevitably going to be things that are just simply out of our control. It is in human nature to want to be the ultimate ruler of our position and destiny. This safety net and feeling of security that comes from control can actually hinder growth causing us to cling to people, places, objects and habits that no longer serve us.
Imagine just how much energy is exerted day in and day out attempting to hang on, just one more day right? “Things will be different if I just give it one more month.” This mindset is brittle, rigid and hardened. Every living organism was created to be flexible and pliable possessing the ability to adapt to the world around it. Maintaining a constant resistance to how the world unfolds is an extremely tiresome and non efficient lifestyle to maintain. Change is either an ally or an enemy depending on how you choose to perceive it, and when you cling you will end up watching life and opportunities for positive change pass you by.
“The living are soft and yielding; the dead are rigid and stiff. Living plants are flexible and tender; the dead are brittle and dry.” -Lao Tzu, Teo Te Ching, 11.
Have you ever searched for something until your head throbbed only to find that when you stopped searching aimlessly it just appeared? Sometimes when you just let go and stop searching, without effort you find exactly what it is you were looking for. Have you ever stared at your phone or refreshed your email every 30 minutes waiting for the call from an employer, a text from a crush or a significant other and it never seems to come? Then the moment you forget about it and let go of the idea, lo and behold.. The harder we cling the further away we become from attaining.
It is critical to weed out what is no longer serving us and adopt things that are serviceable instead. Letting go of possessions, people and circumstances is half of the battle. An equally important part of letting go is becoming unattached and unfocused on outcomes, rather just allowing things to unfold naturally without romanticizing the idea of the way you think things should play out. Anxiety is usually caused by being over concerned with either the future or the past, and in the end what is lost is the most valuable thing life has to offer, the present.
Most people complete tasks with the goal of receiving some sort of prize at the end. We become once again attached to the outcome, closing off our ability to enter a flow state. The capability to be immersed with the task at hand calls for the ability to let go of the thought of the future or the past. It is very easy to waste the present by undervaluing its importance.
When we give trust to the universe and stop intervening, we accept that it is ever changing. We allow ourselves to flow with the current that is life, rather than attempting to swim upstream or grasp onto rocks. This is the most efficient and energy preserving way to go through the ups and downs that come with life, and can only be achieved when we choose to let go. The sole thing that can truly be controlled is your attitude and outlook when faced with change.
