Learning to Let Go

Have you ever felt trapped? Have there been temptations in your life? Have you ever felt assailed by weapons of mass distraction? Feeling like a bird in a cage? You are not alone, my friend. I too have felt this way. Luckily for us there is a solution.

I once heard a story about people catching monkeys using a caged mechanism. Think of a small box in which there would be a piece of fruit or food inside. Upon seeing the desired object, the monkeys would put their hand inside of the cage. Then they would wrap their hand around the coveted item. As they tried to retrieve the object, their fists would be unable to pull free. No matter how hard they tried, their fists would not come out. If they allowed their hands to drop the food, they could slip outside of the bars. Unfortunately, their captors knew that they would never let go.

What circumstances or situations have happened in your life like this? Things that kept you held in a box? We can often feel like we lack freedom. Held back by the things that keep us trapped. But what if the things holding us back are the things that we hold dear?

I had to take an honest look at my life. Many times I've been distracted and swayed by meaningless pursuits. Some call it "Shiny Object Syndrome." It's true that at first things look enticing. We start to find ourselves in for more than we bargained for.

"Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken." ~Warren Buffet

Were you ever persuaded to live a less meaningful life than you envisioned? A less fulfilling life than you dreamed? What is holding you back from your greatness today? What is holding you back from taking that step, and moving into the realm of the unknown?

Our held beliefs

For me it was fear. We all know that fear can be many things. False evidence appearing real. Failure expected and received. Either we can forget everything and run, or face everything and rise. What fears are holding you back? Could it be love or lust? Envy or jealousy? Are you still holding a grudge? Grudges can be so hazardous to us. They're like ingesting poison and waiting for another person to die. I've seen what they can do to the internal workings of our bodies and spirit. It's like holding on to a hot coal. But, like the monkeys, we just have to let go.

I love this analogy I once heard about water: imagine that you have a glass of water in your hand. If you hold it for a minute, you may feel nothing. If you hold it for an hour, your arm will be slightly uncomfortable. If you hold that same glass for a day, your arm will end up feeling paralyzed and numb. The weight of the glass never changed but the longer you held it, the heavier it became. Stress, worry, and anxiety in our lives are the same. The longer we hold them the more it hurts.

"For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I urge you to let go as early as you can, my friend. The more that you open your hands to give, you will be able to receive. Let go of the darkness around you to grab a hold of more light within. Realize that what you've been holding has been keeping you captive. Imagine how free you will be?

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