Nothing is more difficult than letting go of something or someone. We have all confronted this dilemma and have been overpowered by a feeling of possessiveness.
What is even more painful is forgiving someone. Forgiving is a form of letting go too.
Why is it so painful to do so? Why do we suffer when we let go?
It has to do with a number of things:
- Attachment – we are attached to things since these belong to us. If we look carefully, nothing really belongs to us at the end of the day. We will continuously be possessing different things as we move on in life. If we do not let go, we will only hoard and suffer when it leaves us.
The best way to handle this is to enjoy a thing for some time, then let it go so that someone else is able to enjoy it as well. Consider things as temporarily in your possession and then gracefully let it go.
- Control – with people, we assume that they are in our control as long as they are with us. It actually works the other way. It is the people or the things that are controlling us. They are having an effect on us. We cannot imagine what we will do without them.
In order to reduce the effect of people or things on us, we must learn to identify ourselves as separate from them. We are individuals with power to own self, high on confidence and self-esteem. Each of us is unique, with an unique purpose in life and no person or thing should be able to control us.
- Ego – when it comes to people, it is ego that prevents us from letting them go, of letting their failures be, of forgiving them. Why has someone wronged us. We cannot let it be.
The perfect way to handle this is humility, as discussed earlier in ‘Humbly Yours‘. It is this humility that can help us detach from the wrong done by the person and forgive them. Give them a second chance and give yourself a chance to rise above the usual.
It is not easy to practice letting go or detachment, but with time as we push ourselves one step at a time, it becomes a lot easier. And the feelings it leaves behind is peace and contentment, gratitude and calmness.
Move over toDay 19: Mutually Inclusive
Look back at all previous posts of the “21 Days Mind Workout”:
Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7,
Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14,
3 days to go as we move towards completion of this mind workout!
Mindzamaze 