Many of us refuse to put down what is troubling us. We carry resentment, anger, hostility, mistrust, suspicion, grudges, fear, anxiety, worries, and other burdens. How can we travel very far if we are weighed down by so many concerns? When will we learn to drop our cares, release our worries, and let go of whatever is troubling us?

We mistakenly believe that we are held captive by our emotions and impulses, unable to act as we choose. We are like prisoners in a cell that is unlocked. We refuse to leave because we falsely believe the cell protects us. Fear is an example. Although it limits us, holds us back, and blocks our progress, we refuse to let it go. We cling to it, believing that it protects us. Protects us from what? Well, what if we were to try to reach our goal and then fail? Rather than experience the pain of a possible failure, we seek shelter in the arms of fear. For if we are too scared to act, we will be protected from the pain of failure.

We cling to our negativity; we cling to what is holding us back, just as a child clings to a security blanket. But what we cling to is needless, useless, and destructive. Of what use is regret, other than having something to wallow in? Of what use is jealousy and envy other than a venue for self-pity? Of what use is anger, other than trying to control people or events? But happiness is not found in controlling others or events; it is found in controlling ourselves. And the best way to control ourselves is to loosen our grasp, to let go of our worries, and free ourselves from the bondage that disguises itself as protection.

What good is worry? It doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but today of its strength. The idea of letting go of our worries isn't new. It is part of perennial wisdom, part of the Wisdom of the Ages, part of the Wisdom of the Sages, and part of the Wisdom of the Mages. Put some magic in your life by practicing it. A good way to start is by heeding the advice of Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65 ~ 8 BC), the Roman poet known as Horace, "Happy the man, and happy he alone, He, who can call today his own; He who, secure within, can say: 'Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.'" It is easy enough to talk about letting go, but how does one begin to do so? Some steps you can take appear below.

1. Before our world can change, we have to change. Before we can change, we have to do something different. And before we can do something different, we have to learn something different. What we have to learn is EVERYTHING IS AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE. So, accept it. At first, you may not like it, but by accepting it you can develop discipline, patience, and your threshold for tolerance. As you change your attitude by accepting what was meant to be, you eventually will arrive at a higher level, where you rejoice in everything that is; after all, everything is here for your own good. Start, then, by understanding these simple principles of life. But remember, knowledge has little value as information; its power lies in transformation. Use it to change.

2. Focus on whatever is troubling you. Don't try to run from it or hide from it. Allow yourself to feel it in its full intensity, for change is what happens when the pain of holding on becomes greater than the fear of letting go.

3. Ask yourself, "Can I let go of this feeling?" Realize that you are not your feelings and they are not holding on to you. It is the other way round; you are clinging to them.

4. Now ask yourself, "Am I willing to make the decision to let it go?"

5. Then ask, "When will I let go?"

6. Practice this visualization technique. Imagine that the troublesome emotion is squirming, writhing, and twisting in your hands. Feel it slithering in your hands and see yourself releasing it. Drop it. Let it go. Watch it fade away into the distance.

7. Repeat the above steps as often as needed.

The power of the above steps lies in the fact that by following them, we are putting ourselves in control. Usually, rather than analyzing our feelings and the consequences of following them, we merely acquiesce, allowing them to take us wherever they wish. By using the rational part of our brain, we remain in charge of our destiny.


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