Non-fiction / Let Go & Let It Flow (Intro & Chapter 1) (Analysis)

Introduction

I have often heard that it is easier said than done. But at this point in my life it may be harder to say what I’ve done or better yet how I’ve done it. Writing this book was not easy in saying or doing. It was not easy to walk away from what some to consider, including me at one point, a dream job with great money, perks and travel. What followed after my decision was telling those who asked why I did it and dealing with what they thought of me. When I told them I was taking time out to write a book, you should have seen the looks on their faces, not to mention the comments and concerns that followed. I finally realized that it was their inability, or insecurities that were directing their actions. Besides it wasn’t their dream, it was mine. Everyone had an opinion about my decision but what mattered most was mine. I was the one who was living my life.

I was not sure in the beginning in deciding what to do with the words and ideas swirling around in my head. I just knew I had to do it and there was no better time than now. Time passes whether we like it or not and it is what we decide to do with our own time that matters. We are each given a life to do something with and we can live it ordinarily, extraordinarily, peacefully or in chaos. The choice is ours and ours alone. As I look back through what has come out on paper so far, writing about it may have been the easiest part of the whole ordeal.

The challenge of completely changing daily routines for the last few months and writing a book seems to pale in comparison to having to learn and live out each of these lessons of which I have experienced. Some of the lessons I’ve learned are not permanent but have prepared me for the next adventure. Occasionally, I have to relive some of life’s instruction over again but each time I face them, the experience from the past makes it a little less difficult. I guess that is why mistakes are often referred to as training. I only consider it now a mistake if I don’t learn from my circumstance and try to do better to resolve the next time around.

As time wears on though, it has been an arduous task to not become too hard on myself or others when times get tough and to stay flexible. On many occasions I have had to ask myself where to draw the line on compassion and go for self preservation. It’s like trying not to sink myself when trying to save someone else who is drowning. Some people do not want to be saved. They are happy in their misery and just want a little company. They will not hesitate to drag you down with them. I learned to help others along the way without getting bogged down with their load as well as mine and keep moving in the direction I am heading. Besides once I am taken care of I can assist others a whole lot more than when I am struggling myself.

There are some who believe we decide before we are born what lessons in life we want to learn and what we want to become. It’s hard for me to consider that I would have chosen so many challenges and pitfalls. I must have been crazy or braver than I thought. Then again, maybe not, I have survived to tell the tale so to speak. I could kick myself if I did choose what I was to go through to get where I am today if that is the case. I guess the biggest lesson of all that I’ve learned is not to get stuck in the mud too long.

You and I are going to survive so many things. Life is like the waves in an ocean. Either learn to sink, swim or ride a surfboard because there is always another wave coming, bringing adventure, excitement or calamity. By the way, calamity comes to only those who do not or care not to learn to swim or surf.

Pursue your challenges and walk not away from them but toward the next successful venture. Learn to look forward to what is coming rather than fear it. Don’t cling to the past either. Every day and situation is different. I’ve never given something up or even have it taken away that God has not provided a more wonderful replacement. Sometimes it has been about making room for something new.

It was all in how I looked at a situation that made it difficult or easy to get through. Boring this life is not for me. I guess you can say I learned to surf and swim in this life. I have come to enjoy swimming back for another wave when the one I was just on brought me to shore. I’ve also learned that is okay to rest on the shore when needed as well so I can go back and enjoy more fun later in the day.

It is my wish that you will be able to use my information and experience to realize what will help you and what you can let go of in your life. Maybe you can take another look at your situation with a new perspective and free yourself a little more to experience the love and joy this life truly can offer. If nothing else, it could give you just a little more strength to survive the journey of life or at the very least the get you through tomorrow with a lighter load.

Let Go and Let It Flow

Flowing water ensures a pond and its inhabitants, a fresh, clean living environment. A pond of water that does not let in new water either dries up or becomes stagnate. Anything that comes in contact with this stagnate water suffers, whether it is plants, animals or people. Just as the pond must allow in new water for a healthy survival of its surroundings, a person must let go of the bad things (bad water so to speak) in their life.

By letting go of the stagnate or toxic things in life, it allows us free hands to take hold of wonderful new things like opportunity, possibility, and positivity. We, humans can only handle so much, so why hold onto problems or unnecessary baggage of the past instead of the opportunities we are presented with each and every day? Tomorrow is done and there is no magic eraser to undo what has been done. Today is a new day.

Hanging onto a life full of chaos, to the past or even toxic people can be draining, not to mention can lead to illness and disease. Many studies have shown that anxiety, grief, worry, anger, fear and other negative emotions go hand in hand with things like high blood pressure, cancer, and heart disease. Someone holding on tightly to these emotions doesn’t have the energy or room in their life for anything new, especially if it has already manifested into an illness. Getting a grip on more positive healthy emotions has worked wonders. It renews not only the mind and spirit but the body as well.

To best describe what holding on in a physical sense, try this little Letting Go exercise I call “Hanging On”:

Here are a few items you need: a small object such as a rock or bottle cap, and a quarter or some other form of money.

Now, pick up the small object and place in the middle of your hand. Close your hand around it and squeeze tight. Hold onto it tightly and don’t let go of it just yet. The first thing you may notice is the pressure you feel. Soon you will see your knuckles turn white as the blood circulation is cut off. By holding on to this tiny item, you can feel the pressure, and possibly pain if you chose an irregular shaped object and gripped on too tightly. What you may not know is that because you have cut off the normal blood flow, your circulatory system is not working as it did before, running through your hand and fingers and back out as easily. Without letting go or loosing your hold of this item, try picking up, with the same hand, the money. Since you had your hand around the object, you probably found it difficult if not impossible to pick up any money.

If you constantly held onto this object day in and day out in this manner you would start to see some other issues arise. By not letting go, you basically lose use of your hand and fingers. Soon, your grip on the item would start causing other problems physically as well as how you go about your daily routines.

Now, open your hand, palms up, without dropping the object. Just by opening up your hand, you release the blood back into it and any pain and pressure that resulted is relieved. Even though at this point you wouldn’t have to put the object away to pick up the money with your fingers, it certainly would make it easier. Besides, by freeing your hand from the object you leave room in your hand for something else.

In this exercise, the small object represents the issues we have in our life that we hold onto while the money represents the things we want to add value to our life. It’s important to take a look at what object, emotion, or issue from the past that is being held too tightly, causing us pain, discomfort and little room for something more valuable.

Hanging onto the past, negative emotions, and toxic people have the essentially the same effect as holding onto the small object but on a much larger scale. By not letting go or changing things we cut off the ability to pick up other opportunities while creating other problems and pains as a result.

Learning to “let go” is so vital to survival and/or success of not only yourself but those who depend on you. If you have been going head to head with chaos during the day, then brought it home with you, it affects your mood and your time with your loved ones and anyone else you come in contact with along the way while you keep it. How often are you too tired or angry from the days events, from work or the commute to have quality time for what awaits you when you arrive home? What event in your past keeps you from partaking in today’s experience?

Telling my self or someone else to let go and how to do it is the easy part. The application of that counsel is where courage, self esteem, and discernment need to present themselves to succeed in the actual learning and acceptance of the message presented. It’s up to you what or who you pick up and hold onto or what you choose to let go in your life. I may have advised you to try the exercise above but ultimately you did or didn’t try it. But whether you did or did not try the exercise, take a look at your own pond, your life, and see what is becoming stagnant. Let go of what is effecting you and your environment which the people around you.

You are creating your life. You choose what you are going to pick up, hold on to and what to release. You also choose how much it affects you and those around you with your words, emotions and actions. Even if you can’t see your way to let certain things go right now, at least loosen your grip on them. Once you take a moment to recognize what you cling to and how firmly you hang on to it, you will be better able to decide if it needs to go and what can be of more value to you in its place. Value doesn’t just apply to money. You determine what has consequence, whether it is positive people, peace, happiness, love, belief, self confidence, or anything you regard are worth so much more to hold. Take an inventory of what you are carrying that is preventing you from flowing freely through your day, your life, or just your tasks at hand.

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