Letting Go

I have found that every time I have worried about something, it generally came to pass. And since worry is usually brought about over something that troubles us in some way, having the event fulfilled is certainly not a good thing in our eyes.

But as I grow older, I notice that every time I let go of my feelings toward an undesirable circumstance, the event seems to pass over me quietly, having no real effect on me or my life.

What is letting go? How does one accomplish such a mental thing when the entire mind seems to want to replay the stressful moments of life over and over again?

This replay of thought is just the mind's way of role playing every possible outcome it can until a solution is found. However, if the stressful thing is something that the mind has no reference for - that is to say, no previous experience or knowledge to draw from - then no suitable outcome will likely be found. That is where Letting Go becomes useful.

To me, letting go of any undesirable situation is the act of turning off my emotions about that situation. That is, I have no perspective on the issue one way or another; I do not care how that particular thing turns out - I am all right with the outcome no matter what.

I know this may feel impossible, and yes, it will take practice to discipline your mental state to this degree; however, it is worth the effort. I say that because the act of a mental release will free up mental processing power that was previously being consumed by worry or stress. This in turn brings peace, and being filled with peace allows new ideas to flow effortlessly.

To begin practicing the art of letting go, you may want to start with little things where the outcome would truly not matter significantly in your daily life whether you let go of it or not. That is because the action of saying, "I let it go" aloud is monumental. Then, do not think of what you have let go of again in any real capacity. If the thoughts cross your mind during the day or night, simply answer the thoughts with, "I have already let that go." And then breathe deeply, exhaling slowly.

Soon, you will be able to do this same thing with the grandest of circumstances. And as you watch those troublesome things appear in your life, they will have little power over you; and you may have even come across a solution by then because your mind was at peace and able to postulate what the Soul has been trying to tell it.

And the Soul is trying to tell you that no matter what happens in your life - it is not the end. You will not fall over a cliff from your perils, since perils only exist within your thoughts. Thoughts give events power - so in turn, thoughts can take away that same power and make your perceived troubles cower before you. Know that in this very moment, you are all right.

Still, should everything you hold dear suddenly disappear, you must be okay with that; you must be okay with having nothing. Are you okay with having nothing? To find out, ask yourself this: Am I okay with dying today? Am I okay with leaving this life behind right here and now?

If someone puts a gun to your head today, you must be okay with them pulling the trigger and taking you from all that you think is real in your life. If the thought of this makes your heart pulse faster or gives you pause then you are too attached to that which does not matter, and letting go of the other trivial things in your life will be difficult.

When you are okay with the ultimate outcome of death, you will be a master of life. But it won’t be until you are okay with the outcome of unpaid bills, broken relationships, or all the uncertain things of life, that you will begin to feel peace and in control of your life on a daily basis.

For now, let us start small by saying this aloud,

“I let everything go that does not bring me joy.

And so it is.”