What It Really Means to Let Go “Don’t let the darkness from your past block the light of joy in your present. What happened is done. Stop giving time to things which no longer exist, when there is so much joy to be found here and now.” ~Karen Salman Sohn
If you are lucky enough to spend time in mindful communities you will hear the phrase “letting go” used frequently. The practice of letting go is used to support our acceptance of the way things are, and I believe it’s a cornerstone of creating a happy, full life. But what happens when you’re being asked to let go <http://tinybuddha.com/blog/let-go-of-attachment-you-can-be-happy-even-if-things-change/> of something that is deeply emotionally charged or something that directly relates to how you identify yourself? When we have a deep emotional attachment to an event or circumstance in our life and we’re being asked to let it go, it can often feel like we’re being asked to move on and forget about the past, person, or event that we’re deeply connected to. Below I have identified three action steps you can take to use your practice of letting go to deepen your personal growth and attract joy and happiness in your life. 1. Future thinking—believing you can’t be happy or you’ll be happy when… *If *I get the raise at work, lose ten pounds, meet my soulmate, *then* I’ll be happy. Those events may change certain qualities about your life, but the achievement alone doesn’t bring happiness. When you find yourself if-then thinking, bring your focus back to the present and appreciate what is already wonderful in your world. 2. Past thinking—attachment to how things should be The reality is, and I know it’s hard to hear and harder to accept, how things should be exactly how they are right now. (I know, I don’t always like it either) 3. Definitive thinking—believing there are some wounds you can never heal from Unfortunately, we often experience other events in our lives that feel much bigger than that and leave us with a void that feels insurmountable. Perhaps it’s abuse, or abandonment by anyone. These types of events leave us with wounds that are carved deep into our souls and can be much more challenging to overcome. What Letting Go Is Not Letting go of an ideal, thought, or experience is not some laissez-faire, woo-woo thing. Letting go often takes work on our part and requires us to do some introspection about what’s true and what we’re actually attached to. Neither is letting go the same as moving on without doing the work or simply forgetting about an important life-changing event or experience. Another important aspect to recognize about letting go is that it’s not the same as forgiving someone who has wronged you <http://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-to-forgive-when-you-dont-really-want-to/>. Forgiveness is an important aspect of wholehearted living, and it’s separate from letting go of attachments that keep you from becoming the incredible individual the world needs you to be. THAT ATTITUDE IS COWARDICE; ADVISING OTHERS UNTIL HAPPENING TO THEMSELVES, WHEN THOSE ADVICES ARE SKY-ROCKETED. THAT IS NOT A LET GO. Letting Go Is a Work in Progress Begin the practice of letting by noticing the small ways in which you let attachment create unhappiness in your life. Learning to let go of the things that are not serving you will free up energy and resources and you will begin to reap the benefits of a grateful, joyful life. Fools action you may let go; power and wealthy actions you have to let go as you don’t have resources to fight. But PRIDE OF FAMILY, NATION AND STRENGTH OF PRINCIPLE , CULTURE AND THE PRINCIPLES OF LIFE ARE NOT LET GO THINGS AT ALL. K Rajaram IRS 15 3 24 On Thu, 14 Mar 2024 at 18:30, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]> wrote: > “Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part > of your history, but not a part of your destiny.” > > N Jambunathan Rengarajapuram-Kodambakkam-Chennai-Mob:9176159004 > > *" What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you > become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to > a goal, not to people or things "* > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZorqRCoswe3EK%2BH4mYbDtJxp1oNTLSDmjSoVPgZuwi%3Dtqw%40mail.gmail.com.
