"How much do we need to let go of?" a friend asked one day.
"I'm not certain," I replied, "but maybe everything."
Letting go is a spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical process, a sometimes mysterious metaphysical process of releasing to God and the Universe that which we are clinging to so tightly.
We let go of our grasp on people, outcomes, ideas, feelings, wants, needs, desires - everything. We let go of trying to control our progress in recovery. Yes, it's important to acknowledge and accept what we want and what we want to happen. But it's equally important to follow through by letting go.
Letting go is the action part of faith. It is a behavior that gives God and the Universe permission to send us what we're meant to have.
Letting go means we acknowledge that hanging on so tightly isn't helping to solve the problem, change the person, or get the outcome we desire. It isn't helping us. In fact, we learn that hanging on often blocks us from getting what we want and need.
Who are we to say that things aren't happening exactly as they need to happen?
There is magic in letting go. Sometimes we get what we want soon after we let go. Sometimes it takes longer. Sometimes the specific outcome we desire doesn't happen. Something better does.
Letting go sets us free and connects us to our Source.
Letting go creates the optimum environment for the best possible outcomes and solutions.
Today, I will relax. I will let go of that which is upsetting me the most. I will trust that by letting go, I have started the wheels in motion for things to work out in the best possible way.
From The Language of Letting Go
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss
"Today, I will relax. I will let go of that which is upsetting me the most. I will trust that by letting go, I have started the wheels in motion for things to work out in the best possible way."
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Letting go, for me, is doing my best to stop the insanity. And we all know the definition of insanity - doing the same things over and over and expecting a different outcome!
Needed this one today.......Thanks for the post
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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
HO HO HO Phil! I like this reading...I have found things to be much easier when I do actually let go. Still hangin by a thread on some things but am putting my trust in my higher power! This reminds me of when I was job searching...Wanted something right away.. But instead, I had time to work on me. Now have a job, NO TIME, but do continue to work on me no matter what. Scared to death before going to work but pray and place my worries at my HP's feet. So far its working and I get thru the day!! Lani
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"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. "
wow, I really needed to read this today... struggling a lot after seeing my dad and my exhusband today, having a real hard time accepting or letting go of my family, been struggling a lot with that since I moved back down here. Spent some time torturing myself this afternoon... lol not really sure it's "self-torture" but it was tough on me today, I clean out my keepsake box every so often, getting rid of things that bring back bad memories or bad feelings from my life before sobriety... the memories will stay I guess, but I don't need those *things* to help bring back those bad memories. I see it as gradually trying to let go, each time I go through that box I am able to throw out a few more things that I don't really need to hang on to... threw out quite a bit today... and maybe one day I can really emotionally let go.
Cried for the first time in quite awhile... and maybe that was good for me... in a way it was kinda like grieving, remembering how things used to be, how close my mom and sister and I were... I miss that a lot, although at the same time I don't want to be around the chaos and disfunction, nor around people who don't support my sobriety and being a part of AA, they look down on me for it... but I still miss how close we were and how much we talked and hung out together... My sponsor thinks the more involved I get in the program and getting to know people out here, the less it will bother me... she's thinking a lot of this is loneliness, since my family was pretty much all my social life before... and I think she's probably right (I hope).
Bah... I hadda read this today also, cause the damn X just wont go away...'i love you soosososo much...all this railing coke and wantin to do what *I* want to do is just a phase...promise..' Yeah i went thru that for the last 4 years and i destroyed everything i came into contact with, dont really feel like being on the business end of that one, thanks...
Hate to keep prattling on about this, but its just dyin real hard...im probly bein a puss about it tho, cause what i really oughta be doin is ignoring it completely...hopefully i put the kibosh onnit for good today...
I feel bad for myself obviously (doesn't every alkie??) but almost worse for her, cause she has no idea what down the road she's takin...she's gotta kid too...Christ onna stick... But hey, if theres one thing i learned from all u alkies, its that you have to look after yourself and your own sobriety first and foremost, because for us, like the big book says, to drink is to die...So freaky and yet so true...
Everytime i struggle with letting go, all i can think of is jigsaw from the Saw movie series...LIVE OR DIE...MAKE YOUR CHOICE....i made mine (i think)- i actually owe this lil ole forum a lot--And reading what is in this thread has singlehandedly helped me---
for anyone wondering what i mean by the saw reference, heres a link that sorta illustrates... (WARNING, THIS THING IS KINDA GROSS, SO WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hrX3M0jCrTg
-- Edited by Zarathustra at 03:03, 2007-12-06
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The only thing worse than being sober is being drunk...
Keep up with my alleged 'progress' and general rantings, or just laugh at me, if you want: http://diaryofamadman11.blogspot.com
