Let things go.

Let things go.

This has been one of my best skills, and most challenging lessons in this life. I've noticed within myself and within others the need to grasp, grip and remain steadfast on a certain path. This is not a healthy state of mind. I have sensed that the way to advancement in any area of life is the willingness, the state of mind, of freedom and flow. We must be willing to allow ourselves to adjust and take risks. To be attached to nothing is a wonderful concept. To be able to let things go, you need to have a few focused qualities such as: creativity, flexibility, humbleness, willingness and self-esteem. We need to be creative to see the possibilities of a new direction. We need to be flexible to adjust and shift with life's winding roads. We need to be humble to be able to learn about ourselves from others and from life experiences. We need to be willing to see things differently. Finally, we need to have a level of self-esteem, to afford us the courage to change.

From when we are babies, we become connected to a certain routine: feeding, sleeping, bath time and so forth. Yet we cannot stay within a particular developmental stage for very long. When we are young, rapid shifting and evolution is at hand whether we like it or not. First we sit, then we crawl, then we walk, then we run. Imagine our minds, emotions and life experiences similarly shifting with ease and grace. But how much of that is true? Do you hold onto emotions, life experiences, people, or mental patterns? When we are young we don't have much of a choice to reject developmental stages and changes so we must learn to adapt. As adults, we become more self-directed and can choose what we adhere to or transcend. As adults, we tend to be more fearful than the baby versions of ourselves.

Let things go.

Let go of a belief that might be outdated.
Let go of a past heartbreak.
Let go of people.
Let go of shame and guilt.
Let go of mistakes made.
Let go of negative ideas.
Let go of what you think is or isn't possible.
Let go of the specifics of things.
Let go of what a goal should look like.
Let go of fear.

Letting go of things doesn't necessarily mean that you have to float around the world being vacant in mind and soul. You can have an aim and focus like a warrior archer. I like to do this by setting intentions. An intention is a feeling in your heart that gives you a sense of warmth and happiness about something you'd like to create in your life. An intention is a broad term, like a bird's eye view of something. "I want to feel happy." "I will feel strong." "I am protected and fearless." "I want to be independent." "I want a job that fulfills me."An intention and state of mind is a miraculous powerful tool not be underestimated. Dogged focus on what you want to create or heal in your life can get you anything and anywhere despite your current place. Coming from the heart, with focused intention, one is able to clearly see the goal without being attached to how the goal comes. Too often, we become preoccupied with how something is "supposed" to look. I know I do. I can always tell I'm fighting something when I catch myself saying "it isn't supposed to be happening like this." Which is usually the precursor to some sort of tantrum. Once the dust settles emotionally, I get myself reconnected to what's really going on. A better question is "what is meant for me to know about why it is happening like this?" and "how can this be related to my intention?" I also go back to identifying and meditating with the intention and allowing myself to learn and soak in the present experience while not allowing myself to waiver from my intention and staying closely connected to allowing myself to change with the process. This is not an easy thing to do. An example might be helpful in illustrating this.

Let's say you set an intention to learn self-forgiveness. Ways you could nurture that would be writing about this in a journal, meditating on why you want it, what it would feel like to have it and how it can heal your life to internalize it. Making this intention a part of your every day in some small way in thought and in emotion would be a good example of setting and focusing on this intention. Let's now say that you begin to experience lots of persecution from friends or family, conflict erupts with certain individuals. Let's also say that you make mistakes at work or begin to waiver on your daily practice of focusing on this intention as a result. A great way to learn and move with this experience is to sit with it and understand it. What can you learn from those who are judging you? How does this make you feel? How does this relate to the concept of self-forgiveness? Is it challenging this intention for you? If so, how can you learn from the people or experiences you are going through? Often we think we should abandon our intentions when in reality, we should abandon how our intention should manifest, not the intention itself. Perhaps the lessons of your current experiences begin to solidify your concept of self -acceptance and love. Because of those experiences, you learn greater self-forgiveness. You can let go of why and how things happen, you can even let go of certain behavior patterns you have or particular people without letting go of the intention itself. It's like standing in the center of the storm and allowing everything to fall if it needs to but remaining steadfast in your spot. This is what it means to practice letting go.

It's all about the intentions though. Pick a good one, ask others for feedback and guidance on which ones. Sit with a few until you can really narrow it down to 1 or 2 that speak to you. Intentions should also be internal, intangible things you can feel, not material items you can hold. Once you set the right intentions "I want to believe in myself," "I want to be confident," "I want to be courageous," "I want to trust and be faithful," then you need to be committed to nurturing them everyday. When you do, the dirt will be kicked up and you will begin to move, things around you will move. Be ready to let go of whatever is in the way of you and your intention. Be brave in your willingness to let go of what becomes obvious to you while also staying connected to your focused intention, whatever it may be. I believe in this work and have seen the majestic manifestations that come from living it. It is only difficult and torturous when we fight the lessons and the process, but eventually we can let go and that's when the beauty of life is revealed. Seeing beyond your current place all the way to your intention is a great way to transcend difficult and emotionally challenging experiences. It's a great way to maintain hope. It's also a great way to move yourself along this path we call life into a greater, more peaceful, happier existence.

Let things go.

Jai.