Letting Go

Sometimes, the hardest moments of our lives boil down to moments of crystal clarity. While the pain of flesh and bone breaking under stress may be traumatic, the feelings within will truly devastate us long after the scars of the past vanish. We all have experienced grief and to those of you that haven’t, what the hell is your secret? In all seriousness, though, these feelings can be difficult to comprehend and acknowledge, but they are vital to our growth and, like all of our internal processes, support us in navigating life.

How could you have the knowledge to wear bug spray to avoid another irritating experience of seemingly thousands of mosquitoes swarming you or wearing a jacket on a rainy day without freezing your butt off after assuming dark clouds would simply pass over. These moments have taught us the necessary lessons to recognize signs of conflict. So, too, does the heart and brain yearn to understand surrounding patterns that have brought distress and remove them from your life.

The critical analysis of this train of thought makes it sound hunky-dory and easy, but nothing could be further from the truth. Understanding why a car crashed doesn’t undo all the anguish of the actual event, your heart break is nothing to be discredited or pushed aside with simple platitudes, “at least you learned something”. 

And, if anyone tells you that healing can happen through one event to solve all your problems, RUN. Your journey will be filled with moments of quiet, times when the only company will be your own, terrifying right? But inner-dialogue is paramount to building new habits, discovery of fresh goals, and gaining a better understanding of the person you are. Moving from discomfort and suffering into joy and peace sounds easy but can be a process many lack the courage to move into. Why though?

So many of us hold onto facets of our life that we perceive lead us down the correct path, whether that be relationships that we have maintained since youth, employment in companies that pay well perspectively, even cultures we were raised in that were shown to be the only acceptable route in life. These ideologies whether relayed to us or formed on our own volitions can be a source of great strength tethering us to security when chaos ensues all around us, and also cause great distress when our personal guidance system no longer aligns with those rooted beliefs.

Holding onto old ways that are familiar and understood may cause pain while attempting to move to the unknown. While letting go of everything and restarting from scratch may not need to be the path you take, continually checking in with oneself and ensuring that the choices being made align with your values and desires for your life will be the best way to guarantee happiness no matter the outcome.