On Letting Go
I heard someone say recently, “I should let go more often,” and it landed deeply. As I reflected on what it meant, the conclusion surprised me. Letting go can feel tough, and it can also be incredibly easy.
It is tough because we hold tightly to what grants us safety and security. The world can be wild and chaotic. If we drop the safety blanket even for a moment, who knows what bogeyman might show up to harm us.
On the other hand, it is easy, like a hot potato that scalds the fingers. We can drop what is bothering us in a split second.
So why is letting go a problem for some of us. Maybe we are not ready to release our baggage. Maybe the comfort zone is still needed while we recover from a heavy impact. Maybe the tidy box of our current life feels safer than the unknown.
All of these can be true.
I should know. I have felt that tug of safety throughout my journey. That tug in the nervous system that says, “What you are doing is not safe.” Humans evolved to scan for threat. The lizard inside each of us watches the room and sorts people and moments by danger.
The heart starts to pound. Thoughts skip like a broken record. Leave now. Run away.
You get the picture.
Letting go also means loosening control of the environment. We build intricate systems to keep ourselves secure: our masks, our roles, our personality, our ego. They protect us when we need them.
But sometimes they hold us back from who we want to become. We meet people who move more freely, and they become our inspiration. They offer the gift of recognition. I can be like that too. Soon we find ourselves asking, why did I not let go sooner.
In my own life, I am testing this deeply. In a few days I will attend my first ten-day Vipassana meditation course. Ten hours of meditation each day, in complete noble silence. For me, this is an act of letting go—letting go of even my concept of what letting go means. I am stepping into the unknown with openness to learn who I really am and what I am really doing.
So, what is it you want to let go of. Who inspires you to let go. Who do you want to become next.
A one-minute practice
Notice where the body is holding on. Jaw, chest, belly, hands.
Name the hold gently. Tight, braced, guarding, structure.
Soften that area by five percent.
Exhale longer than you inhale.
Ask, what can I put down for now.
If you want support as you put something down and pick yourself back up, this is the work we do together in a coaching session.
Connect with me by booking a free discovery call and let’s get you moving forward again.
Peace
Shaun 🙏
