The Power of Letting Go

This is sort of my belated Easter post. I apologize if it's confusing for anyone that sometimes I post once a week and sometimes more than that. It's just that sometimes I realize there are more things I want and need to say. So....

I love the image of Easter—which for me is one of transformation, of letting go of the old life to transform into a new and more extraordinary life.

I’ve talked about this before but I think it matters enough to write about it again, now.

Note: None of us lets go of all these things all at once. We need to do it in our own time when we’re ready. In a sense, these are goals. Just being aware that they ARE goals can have an immense impact on our lives—for the better. And the more of these we are able to achieve, the more we empower ourselves to create the lives we want to have.

Letting go:

1) Letting go of old beliefs that no longer serve us. (I can’t make it on my own. I’ll always fail. I’ll never be loved or treated with kindness and respect.)

2) Letting go of old relationships that no longer make sense in our lives—OR letting go of how they have been (and the belief this is the only way they can be) to transform the relationship into something new and better.

3) Letting go of old objects that we no longer need—and perhaps thereby making room for new ones that now serve us better.

4) Letting go of fears—and the belief that we must give in to them—to discover new abilities and new possibilities.

5) Letting go of seeing ourselves as victims, seeing ourselves as flawed and/or broken, letting go of seeing ourselves as helpless—and celebrating the strength and courage and capabilities we have inside.

6) Letting go of (righteous) anger—and transforming ourselves by being willing to forgive.

7) Letting go of blame—and discovering the power of focusing on ourselves and the choices we can make.

8) Letting go of the belief that anyone owes us anything—and turning that energy to creating what we want to have ourselves.

9) Letting go of the belief that God failed us—and discovering the power and comfort when we know we can draw on God’s strength whenever we need to do so.

10) Letting go of any crutches (addictions) we have used to dull our pain—and discovering that when we allow ourselves to feel pain, we can finally feel joy as well.

I don’t mean to claim that rewriting/recreating our lives is easy. It’s hard work and often down right scary! So why do it? Because it is only in letting go of the above that we can create the lives we want to have—and have the chance to be happier than we ever thought we could be. This is the only way to discover that we are stronger, braver and more capable and competent than we believed we could be. This is also the only way to counter the false and hurtful messages that may have been given to us—often by those who claimed to love us but were destructive anyway. This is the only way to free up the energy and focus so that we may end up astonishing everyone—including ourselves.

Our lives are in our hands. Our futures are in our hands. We must choose to be who we want to be and create the lives we want to have. The good news is that we can. And when we are ready, we can tap into that universal something greater than ourselves that we call God to find strength and courage and hope when we thought we had none left.

Wishing all of you a time of letting go this spring and embracing new possibilities and opportunities and beliefs—about yourselves and the world around you—and sending safe and gentle (((((((hugs)))))))),

April_optimist