Copyright © 2022 Lee Spirit
Last week’s blog post was about how difficult it can be to let go of drama because we get addicted to it. It’s not only drama and negativity that we so easily get into the habit of having in our lives. The next step after freeing ourselves of the drama is letting things be. This means learning how to conquer our fear and resistance to letting go of the things we cling to, and allowing things to be what they are.
Fear & Resistance To Letting Things Be
So many of us struggle to “Let it be!”. This is because we’re afraid of something and/or are feeling resistant to change. We may be afraid of losing a friend or loved one’s support and care if we let go of our grip. Perhaps we resist change because we’re afraid to try something new in case it doesn’t work out. We may be afraid to “shed the old” in case it leaves us alone, without money, or a place to live.
I chose this photo of the Ghost River in Alberta because the river is a great symbol for me of ease and flow. It doesn’t stop flowing when it comes up against obstacles along its path. It continues to flow without resistance.
Here is a quote from one of my favourite songs by Coco Love Alcorn, “The River”:
“The river is a traveller
Always on the go
A river never worries
If it’s fast or if it’s slow
River take me
To where I need to go
Oh, and I will just relax
And let the river flow…”
We can be like the river, going with the flow of change, never worried about what will come. What is ours will come to us in divine timing. Let’s just let it be, and let the river carry us where we need to go! The more we let go and allow things to be as they are, without resistance, the more easily the river of our life will flow.
You can practice surrendering to what is simply by taking deep breaths. Consciously inhale light and love, and consciously exhale fear and resistance. Make this a daily awareness and practice in your life and it will become easier to surrender to the flow.
The Trouble With Excessive Planning
I’ve always been one who likes to plan everything out in advance. You need to do that sometimes, like making vacation arrangements, especially with others. But letting things be might be easier if you don’t plan every detail of your future. When we are overly future focused, we are worried, anxious, and fearful about what is to come. We’re attached to what we’ve planned out for ourselves, and if that doesn’t happen, we fall apart.
If you’re stuck in the idea that your relationship will last forever, and then suddenly it all falls apart, you are shaken to the core. If you can grasp the concept of impermanence – That all things end at some point – you won’t be on a such an emotional rollercoaster when things don’t go the way you planned.
Letting Things Be By Living in the Present Moment
You’ve heard me speak of living in the present moment quite frequently. The importance of this can’t be understated. In the past, we are often depressed. In the future, we are often anxious. But in the present moment, we are really in tune with what is, right here and now. In this moment, we are free, safe, and unattached to past pains or future outcomes. Everything we need is right here in this moment.
Our Thoughts and Feelings Keep Us Stuck
Realizing that it’s our minds that keep us stuck is a good step towards releasing attachments and letting things be. As Eckhart Tolle often says, “We are not our thoughts”. Our thoughts are a construct of our imaginations. Rather, we are what we are – Human “beings”. How are you “being” in this moment? Not, “What are you thinking” in this moment!
Try now to just live from the heart, not the mind. We do need a balance of both of these, but if you’re always stuck in the thought constructs of your mind, try breathing and feeling through the heart instead. If you feel grief, anger, sorrow, and pain, it can get easily stuck in our bodies. This is when we start to feel physical pain or even illness. We need to release those negative thoughts and feelings, often associated with our pasts or our future worries. Our thoughts can become addictive when we get stuck in our negative patterns.
Breathe and Release
We can let things be when we release these pent-up emotions. Feel them, and move them through your body through your breath. A regular practice of meditation can help immensely with this. If you can’t commit to sit in meditation on your own, then seek out a meditation group.
I’ve recently joined one that I’ve discovered is really helpful in committing to the practice. When you’re surrounded by other people, there are fewer distractions. You can’t check your phone, social media, get up and get a snack, or move about.
Feel the support of the others in the group. Feel their energy. We are all one, having the shared experience of trying to move the stuck negative emotions that keep us held back. Learn to breathe and release so you don’t stay stuck!
Holding Gratitude In Your Heart
To help you release pent-up emotions and let things be, it’s helpful to practice positive thinking, affirmations, and gratitude. This helps to keep your energetic vibrations high. When you vibrate at a higher frequency you are better able to allow things to be what they are with a lightness in your heart. Be confident in yourself that you can let go, and let be!
Gratitude is a tool we can use when we are down and out to uplift our own spirits. Being grateful for everything we have and knowing that we have everything we need will allow us feel that we are and have enough.
Click Here For More on Being Grateful During Challenging Times
Letting Things Be By Being Aware of the Power of Words
The thoughts and vibrations we have are so important to our wellbeing. Often what we think and feel is formed by the words we hear others speak. When you were a child, did a parent ever say, “Be quiet, I’m watching the TV right now”? How did that make you feel? Unseen, unheard, not important, valued, or noticed? Those words stay with us for life and affect our programming so much that the wounds follow us around through our lives.
Why do words sometimes harm us so much? Well, I read this great article by Nithaya Karia, who says, “None of us want to believe that we think we’re not smart, beautiful, fun, cool, lovable, or funny. But I’ll say it again. Almost all the remarks that have hurt me are ones I thought were true. Or ones I feared might be true”. What we believe about the words we hear is what makes or breaks us. The truth often sheds a light on what it is we need to let go of, painful or not.
Being Who You Really Are
Letting things be means letting ourselves be who we really are. If something is true, let it be so, even if someone else doesn’t like it. Accept yourself, your feelings, and your emotions around it, and know that it’s okay to be who you are. You don’t have to let go of apart of yourself, but you are free to let go of something holding you back if you wish to change it. You can release the fear and resistance to change more easily if you accept who you are.
You’ll find that when you release something that’s not serving you, you create a new, beautiful space in your life for more creativity, fun, new growth, relationships, and opportunities. Most of all, you will find new peace in mind-body-spirit. Take back your power now by letting things be!
Letting Things Be Reading List
If you are wanting more information on how to stay mindful and present in your life, please check my References Page for some great reading material that has inspired my posts and my life!
Lee Spirit is an avid outdoors adventurer with a love for nature, photography, health & fitness, wellness, and spirituality. She helps those who suffer from anxiety & negative thinking to become healthier in mind-body-spirit. Her own personal journey has led her to the study and practice of mindfulness, health, wellness, yoga, spirituality, sound healing, meditation, and personal development for over 20 years. Get mindfulness, meditation, and personal development tips in her Free Natural Mind Healing Report.