Over a year on from the beginning of the pandemic, many of us have had an unusual amount of time to reflect. We have lived a more contained, ‘simple’ lives. Many have experienced significant shifts. Often in the form of breakdowns, breakthroughs (the light after the thunder), breakups, career changes and relocations. Overall, plenty for us all to hold dear but also inner realisations to take into whatever this next chapter holds. Our nations, communities and lives have been altered irreversibly. Collectively, we have had to accept, adapt and practice patience in the face of uncertainty.
One’s doing well if age improves even slightly one’s capacity to hold on to that vital truism: “This too shall pass”
Alain de Botton
I used to think letting go was about actively casting things off. “If I put enough effort in, I will feel lighter.” Now, of course, many have found that a good declutter of possessions is a good thing. By clearing and cleansing one’s surroundings, we tend to feel more settled internally, a sense of order and spaciousness.
Letting go on a deeper level
What about letting go on a deeper level? Actually, letting go is not an action, it is achieved without striving, it is a way of being. If I let be with acceptance and grace, I can loosen my grip on the reins and let life flow through and around me. When I feel tight and the need to control, I remember to let it be. I practice pausing.
I do not suggest that we only do what is easy and comfortable, for growth lies in uncertainty and discomfort, instead that we recognise that so much is out of our control and to resist change and growth is to create conflict internally and externally.
Redirecting energy
When we identify where we are spending energy and it does not feel valuable or nourishing, we become aware and curious rather than tangled up. Awareness enables us to consider redirecting or conserving our attention towards a more appropriate and natural route.
To let go does not mean to get rid of. To let go means to let be.
When we let be with compassion, things come and go on their own.Jack Kornfield
It is essential to remembering our power and agency to accept and step back… rather than battle and grasp, letting go is liberating. There’s a time to stand up and fight for what matters. There are also many times to quietly inwardly train our chatty mind to let be and let go. We are not able to control much of the external world, what we can do is attend to how we react, our repeated behaviours, our expectations and our mindset.
Louise Wellby, Head of Content