GREAT Morning Everybody!
“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.” – Wayne Dyer
Letting go isn’t always easy. It’s actually pretty damn challenging and something many of us struggle with on a daily basis. Whether it be the remote control to the TV, our career progression, the finances, or deciding what/where to eat for dinner – we LOVE to be in control. The perception of control in our lives is one of the main contributors to our happiness. However, the need to control our external (and internal) environment is also one of the main contributors to the frustration, anxiety, and stress we experience in our lives on a daily basis.
I will provide a few examples. I am obsessed with exercising and moving my body. I typically perform some sort of exercise every single day of the week, sometimes twice. I broke my wrist 4 weeks ago and haven’t been able to exercise the way I did since the incident. I’ve intentionally had to practice the art of letting go and surrendering to what is over the last 4 weeks in order to heal my wrist. This has NOT been easy, but HAS served it’s purpose as a lesson in the art of letting go. By refusing to let go for the first few weeks, I not only contributed to further damage to my wrist – I also increased levels of stress, anxiety and frustration in my life. As I get older, I am starting to realize there are different types of “hard work.” I’ve always been used to the hard work I put my body through, but, what if the hardest form of Work is the Work of letting go? What if the hardest work there ever was and is to do is to Let Go and let one’s Faith take the wheel?
I recently turned 30 and my girlfriend and I went to Amsterdam for my birthday. On the way to Amsterdam, my flight was delayed 4 hours. When I got to Amsterdam, I found out my bag was left in the U.S. and I’d be stuck in the same clothes with no toothbrush until late the next evening. Two unfortunate situations, both completely out of my control. My immediate reaction to both of these situations was indeed negative, however after sitting with these feelings for a bit and coming to the realization that there wasn’t anything I could do about either, my anger subsided and I came back to equanimity. By practicing the art of letting go, we invite peace, forgiveness and compassion into our lives.
I encourage every single soul reading this to let go of the adversity you might be facing in your life and focus ONLY on what YOU can control. Surrender and let go to the rest. There is simply no other option. Stop trying to manipulate the unmanipulatable. Getting worked up over something out of your control is a complete waste of energy, time, and life. While you might not be able to change a certain situation, you DO have the power to decide how you respond to that situation! Pay as little attention as possible to your troubles, and as much attention as possible to your goals and dreams – to what sets your Soul on fire! Remember, you will receive more of whatever you invest your energy in.
I will end on this quote from Bernard Baruch: “The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them.”
Enjoy what comes of today!
With Gratitude,
Rob