Letting Go

When I was a small child, my family would listen to Kenny Roger's and he had a song that would play and I knew at the time it was talking about a card game. "You have to know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run" is the verse that I am referencing. However today, when I think of this song, it is applicable to situations and people in our lives that do not serve us, and most importantly, the meanings we have attached to events in our lives. So many people attach so many negative meanings to events and they allow these events to shape their lives and identity. When you learn to attached a different meaning to events whether past or present, then you have the ability to stand in your power and let go. So what does it mean to let go?

Letting go is emotional, it is personal, and no one can do this for you as it is not a phyiscal act. For example, have you ever wondered why siblings from the same family that had the same experiences turn out to be different, like some successful and some not so successful? Would you be suprised if I told you that the difference between siblings growing up one bitter & angry, then one happy and disregards the events simply boils down to the meanings each one attached to those events in their lives? See when you know why you do what you do you, then you can change it. And to let go, it is simply an act of changing the meanings we attach to these events. Are there going to be toxic people that you do not want in your life, absolutely and you should avoid them if they do not serve you. However, there are probably some people in your life that aren't bad people, but you can't have a relationship with them because of the hurt and anger you harbor over past events.

I am not naive, as even as simple as this sounds, changing the meanings to all the events that were personally holding me back, releasing myself from the imprisonment of the anger and hurt was not an overnight process so you have to give yourself time. The first step is being willing to relive past trespasses in your life, reflect on what meanings you have attached to each event, change the meanings, then experience the letting go of all the negative emotions holding you back. As you forgive all the people in your life that trespassed you don't forget to forgive yourself. Let yourself off the hook, be grateful for seeing the light now so that you can spend the rest of your life enjoying life and those in it. Be patient with yourself, be prepared to get rigorously honest with yourself and others, and you will be a new person after you complete this process. Be prepared as future trespasses occur that you will have a tendancy to want to revert back to attaching negative meanings, just be aware and don't...this is called overcoming. Transformation is a one day at a day process. Remember that we are all products of our conditioned environment, our parents did the best they could at the time, and they too probably have a hurt child living inside of them as do most people you meet. Here's to you releasing your hurt child and becoming the person you desire in 2016.