Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.
-Hermann Hesse
A Route to Happiness #15 – Let Go
Sometimes letting go of something, although difficult, can be a quick way to find happiness.
The departure from one thing can often open a road to the next.
With less in our lives we create space for more.
More of the things we love.
However, letting go of things is not as simple as we would like it to be.
Sometimes we hold on just to hold on.
Deep down we know something is not good for us, but despite this we fail to let go.
There are many things we can let go of to find happiness.
Mostly I would like to focus on the things that do not make us happy.
These are the best places to start.
To create a simplicity of life of being happy about what we choose to have in it.
Bad habits.
We all have bad habits.
Well there may be a few people that are the exception but, I have reason to believe that almost all of us have them.
Letting go of a bad habit allows room for many wonderful things.
Things like pride, self acceptance and more inner strength.
When we choose to let a bad habit go it is like opening a door for happiness to come in.
It’s invitation to the good things in life and an exit to the bad.
It’s a revolving door and each turn is controlled by our choices.
Negative thoughts.
I often think our own worst enemy is ourselves.
Not that we mean to be, but we create consistent thought patterns that are often not consistent with who we want to be as people.
Thoughts like, my life sucks, when will this day end and on and on.
As positive as we all might be, we often have some thoughts that don’t serve us.
If we can find a way to let them go, I think it opens up a place in our mind for better thoughts.
I believe our minds are a garden.
We get to plant what we want there.
Sometimes we just have to go back and start with some fresh soil.
Letting go of the weeds that are growing at this moment gives us a chance to plant the flowers of good thoughts.
Trying so hard.
I believe life should be effortless.
That’s not to say mine is.
But I am working on it.
However I have noticed that the more I push, the more life pushes back.
It is more than likely because I am pushing in the wrong places.
There have also been times in my life where I didn’t try.
I let go of it, by having faith, doing what I should along the way and letting go of the end result.
Just one day at a time, each one building on the one before it, is a great way to keep moving.
You don’t have to try so hard when you break things down into small pieces.
Sometimes the road blocks are on the roads that are miles away from.
Trying to cross them before we are ready is something best to let go of, for now.
People
I have mentioned before that sometimes we have to let go of people.
Some people we can’t let go of or we shouldn’t, like family.
However, we can let go of our expectations of them.
Not everyone needs to be what we want them to be or expect them to be.
Just letting go and accepting them for who they are allows the space for us to start again with a new understanding.
Other times, there are people we need to let go of.
The person you want to change because you are in an abusive relationship.
The person who tries to isolate you by destroying your friendships.
The person who barely knows you but expresses their opinions as if they do.
Any of those people in our lives that don’t make us feel good, may need to be shown the door.
Once again opening it back up to let better people in.
Not so unique tip: meditate for five minutes.
To exemplify the power of letting go the best idea I could come up with is to meditate.
Doing this exercise will exemplify exactly what I am talking about.
Letting go to let better things in.
Now if you have never meditated this will be an interesting five minutes.
Here’s what to do, sit comfortably, back straight and find somewhere quiet.
Close your eyes.
Breath deeply and hold your breathe for a few seconds before releasing it.
Do this a few times each time feeling more relaxed.
Then just breathe normally.
Focus your mind on the place between your eyebrows.
This is an energy center in your body.
As you pay attention to this place you will begin to notice different thoughts come up.
Some of which may be, this is stupid, what am I going to eat for dinner and so on.
Most often you will notice that these thoughts are unconnected and sporadic.
What you want to do is just observe them and pay attention to the gaps between the thoughts.
That silence.
In that silence is the idea of letting go.
When that silence gets larger with your increased focus, you will begin to create room to receive inner guidance.
In that silence is where you may find your best thoughts, the next steps to make your life better and certainly more inner peace.
It’s worth a try, as each new thing we do often helps us to grow.
Letting go is something I have done to find more happiness in my life.
It affords me the time and space I need to refresh, think and grow.
Is a happiness always a result of letting go?
I can’t say for sure.
But, in the absence of the things that don’t make us happy, it is easy to believe that happiness will be easier to find.
-Burton
Further Reading: Does Meditation Work?
This is a collection of my thoughts on meditation after practicing consistently for a few years. You may enjoy it as I detail what I have found useful about it and what it can and cannot do.
As always, I love to hear your thoughts, comments and opinions. Please share below and know all will be responded to and each one reminds me of why I write. Thank you.
http://www.soultuality.com/a-route-to-happiness-15-let-go/
