Carrying Our Burdens

“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.”  -Ann Lander

How often do we find ourselves holding on so tightly to something that no longer brings us joy?

It seems easy from the outside to see changes that others should make in their lives, yet our egos refuse to make the same changes when it comes to our own lives. Time and time again, we are offered a chance to explore and to be free from the bonds of complacency. We cannot expect to hold on to the past and hope to grow from it. We must put down the extra baggage and open the door to take what we truly need inside.

We hold on to the past like it is a lifeline for the future. We do this with toxic people and relationships, overspending or hoarding things that we don’t need. We waste time filling voids in our lives with small talk, people who don’t enrich our lives, belongings to fill every corner of the house, and our fragile identities. The things that we own, own us. Our egos grasp tightly to what “belongs” to us, that letting go is out of the question. We have grown blind to opportunities directly in front of us and wonder why we feel stuck in our lives.

I am guilty of this. I have held on so tightly to things that blocked my creative energy and distracted me from my potential, all of which could be painful at times.

I was divorced and lost almost everything. I closed my brick and mortar business in May 2020. I entered into a toxic relationship. There is nothing like the force of nature to put me in my place and redirect me. I have learned from my past experiences, and I don’t regret them. They are my past, and they create my self. It is time to let go and to be free.

Now I am taking time to reflect on my life. Every aspect of my life has changed–why not? How do I want my life to look? What people bring quality to my life? What can I remove from my life? And what does this mean?

I don’t know, but I know it is scary as sh**, yet there is a part of me that is so excited to be free. I have direction and determination, although the path is unclear.

There is a healthy ebb and flow to human nature: choose, develop, adapt, take action, repeat. Instead, we try so hard to be perfect and do it all.

Let me tell you a secret: failing is what we do. We always have a second chance to get up, observe, adapt, and try again. Failing takes courage and shapes one’s character. Free thinking is often not taught but is learned. 

What baggage are you having trouble putting down in your life?

Notice what you are carrying and grasping?
What can you put down and let go?
You are ready!
Now take action!

“Lead us from the unreal to the real.” -Hindu Invocation.