Letting Go...
"In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself." - Deepak Chopra
Hey all!
Sam here with the first of seven emails talking about Jon Kabat-Zinn's seven pillars of mindfulness: LETTING GO.💙
Next week I'll be moving into a new flat with new flatmates, so I've been letting go of a lot these last few weeks... not just the two housemates that I've lived with for two or three years but with many possessions and memories that I feel do not serve me any longer.
I've talked a lot about my past, having a very difficult period with alcohol abuse in my 20's. This year I celebrated the 10 year milestone with friends and family, making the conscious decision that this would be the end of that yearly celebration. I'm letting go of that chapter of my life because, as I've mentioned before, as soon as I realised that I can never drink alcohol again, it became "easy". Not once in 10 years have I been close to tempted, so I don't feel the need to celebrate that particular 'struggle' any longer.
The reasons behind my drinking are varied and hard to pinpoint and I've learned very clearly over the years that the past is not the present. It can no longer hurt me and there is nothing about my past life that needs to impact me now. When I was 18 I 'started again', moving away from Manchester... but bringing the drinking habits with me. When I was 25 I quit the booze and started again, with an alcohol free life. By the time I was 30 I was so in love with life that I made another big change in my life and started again... again!
Letting go is so important for growth, for change. To push you in the direction you want or need to go in. If the past is no longer serving you, or is holding you back, it's time to let it go...
A really good way to get into a mindset of letting go is reviewing your day/week/month. For me it can be a simple list, sometimes more like a diary entry asking myself at least the following questions...
How was my day/week/month...
What did I achieve or learn?
What positives can I bring forward to tomorrow/next week/next month?
What can I let go of and leave in the past day/week/month?
The person(s) I am most thankful for are...
It might be that you are contending with long term struggles that you cannot release. It could be a person that you are no longer in contact with, or a situation that is going round and round in your head. One of my favourite things to do here is to write a letter, often one that you will never send. Get all the emotions out and make sure that somewhere in that letter you declare that you are letting them/the situation/the past go!
What is the worst that can happen if you let it go?
More importantly... what is the best that can happen?
“You can’t possibly embrace that new relationship, that new companion, that new career, that new friendship, or that new life you want, while you’re still holding on to the baggage of the last one. Let go… and allow yourself to embrace what is waiting for you right at your feet.” - Steve Maraboli
Have a great weekend!
Sam and Ash
