The Power Of Letting Go

Surrender to the moment. An act more easily said than done for some, including myself

It’s not always so simple for us to just let go and be free. Depending on our backgrounds and what we’ve dealt with in the past, where we’re coming from, letting go and living can — at times — feel like an impossible, intimidating task. For me, there are times when just being present and in the moment can actually be a stressful concept. It’s easy to brush these feelings off as minor, slightly neurotic aspects of our personalities, but these hangups can actually keep us from thriving and pursuing our passions. They can keep us from truly experiencing the incredible world around us. In truth, these feelings are heavy burdens to carry on our shoulders.

Can you recognize what holds you back? Maybe you’re living too much in the past, imagining the different routes your life could have taken, or perhaps you fear the stumbling blocks that are so inevitable on the road ahead. Personally, I have a tendency to over-think nearly everything – a habit that hasn’t done me any favors as I get to know a new city full of new and exciting people, and in the end serves only to stunt potential growth and make getting out of my own head even more difficult.

So how do you begin to let go and learn to surrender to the moment when the act itself is so daunting?

I’ve found that the best way to start is to break up your routine in small ways. Sometimes dramatically fleeing your comfort zone, maybe due to a move or a change in your relationship, can cause you to cling to the aspects of your life that you’re able to control, and you suddenly find yourself holding on to any semblance of a routine during a time when you should be open and willing to change. Even if your life is in flux, these shifts don’t have to be dramatic – baby steps can still lead to rewarding results. Try a new recipe, make art and get messy instead of watching a movie, go to a new coffee shop instead of your regular place. Resolve to try something new weekly, or even better: Daily.

As you continue to add new aspects to your routine, take steps to break away from the larger areas where you may be holding yourself back. In this age of distraction, people will tell you there’s power in being able to say “No”, but there’s also a power and magnetism in saying “YES!” Try it sometime. Say yes to an invite, to going out after work with coworkers, to taking on a project, or trying something different. Once you say yes to something small and see that it’s not a big deal, like grabbing coffee with someone new, you’ll be inspired to say yes to something bigger.

There’s a freedom in letting go, a lightness in breaking away from your mental blocks and allowing yourself to surrender to the moment and just be. Your soul feels lighter, the heaviness that may have settled into your bones breaks up and, eventually, you may find that those setbacks that once caused so much frustration and worry, that you once took for inevitable parts of your being, are faded and possibly even replaced with a new outlook.