4 Tips to “Let Go” and Lighten Up
It is perhaps an understatement to say that current situations around the world have many of us worried and uptight. We’re all experiencing situations we want to change and wish they were different than they really are. When stressed it is easy to get attached to our own opinions and see life from only one viewpoint.
Strong expectations, when not fulfilled, can set you up to feel like a Victim to what you thought was going to happen. If things don’t happen just the way you imagined, you may feel disappointed, sad, and even powerless.
How do you learn to let go and lighten up, while still reaching for what you want to create? It is almost a cliché to say you simply need to “let go.” It may be that simple, but it is not always that easy. Here are a few tips that can help support you to lighten up during so much drama.
Tip One: Ask yourself whether you are letting go from a Victim space or as a Creator. If you are coming from a Victim space, you may feel letting go as an obligation. You may say to yourself, “I know I should let go, but I don’t want to.” Or “I have worked hard on this, and I deserve it.” That might be true but coming from a sense of scarcity feeds more attachment to your expectation. From the Victim space, letting go becomes an obligation.
Letting go from a Creator space is imbued with trust and a willingness to not know how things are going to turn out. In this case, your relationship with the outcome shifts, even though your desire to manifest the outcome is still very real. You may say to yourself, “I’ve worked hard, and boy, I have no idea how this is going to turn out. I will hold onto my vision and be willing to be surprised at the outcome.”
Tip Two: Start letting go inside your body. You might notice your speech is different when you are attached to something. You may talk faster and louder. You might also notice tightness and constriction in your body. Your body never lies, so let your body guide you to feel lighter and more open. Several slow, deep breaths will support your body to relax and naturally lighten.
Tip Three: Get curious about what unmet need is underneath your expectations. With this tip, you’re cultivating more awareness of what is driving the strong attachment in the first place. Get curious about how you might fulfill your unmet need with healthier options. It might be something small like you’re tired or hungry. If it is something bigger, you might ask someone to coach you to help discover what is going on at a deeper level.
Tip Four: Utilize a contemplative practice to observe the nature of your thinking. A contemplative practice supports you to learn how to witness your thoughts as they come and go. The beauty of a contemplative practice such as reflective walking, journaling, yoga, or meditation is that you allow yourself to simply observe your thoughts, notice them come and go, and not take them so seriously. You will be amazed at how a contemplative practice will lighten your load.
The cost of not letting go is beyond measure. When you’re overly attached and seeing things from one perspective, being at choice is rarely available to you. With these tips, learning to let go and lighten up allows you to have more choices about what you want to create in your life—and that’s priceless!
