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January 15, 2007
The Art of Letting Go
With my own recent series of unfortunate Life events under my belt, or behind me, depending on perception, I have a much clearer insight into the art of letting go. And I know firsthand that letting go is possible.
What is letting go? And why is it even of concern to anyone in their right mind?
Well, with consideration of the selling of several hundred thousand books under the title of The Secret of Letting Go, author Guy Finley had something to write about this topic in the early 1990's. And people were listening.
Or should I say, reading. So I think this topic is one that puzzles most and still befuddles the genuine seekers of this elusive life solution.
For most humans, letting go is not something that comes easy. And, in light of that, how can this subject even be defined?
Well, I would consider letting go as the actual moment when one decides that whatever emotional baggage they're hanging on to is no longer worth holding. At the moment that that baggage is released, letting go occurs.
Of course, it's much easier to give the analogy via a descriptive picture than it is for most to actually do what is described.
Myself included.
But I now know, without a doubt, that this letting go is a fact. And it is doable. And it is hard to do. And it will most likely occur for the masses of people desiring it only over a long period of time and inner study of the workings of one's mind and how it operates.
Letting go is something that occurs inside one and it is only visible to that person. Usually it is not tellable outside the person who just let go. It comes as a sense of resolution with the internal mental and emotional struggle that heretofore was battling it out inside the 'mind' (whatever that thing is, eh?)
Letting go is evidenced by a sort of inner peace that the way a situation was responded to before is no longer appropriate, or necessary. There is a way out of the struggle with that situation for that person now...outside of what was used to-date.
The over half-century old 12-step al-anon saying states:
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference."
This is more than just a few words in a trite poem penned by a man in the early 20th century.
These words are something that helps one understand that the actual process of letting go is something that wholly occurs inside one, but forever changes their world outside of them as well.
Why is it so hard to let go and why do so many people struggle with this fact of life?
I believe its because of past behavior and heavily conditioned actions that have, in a sense, solidified the behaviors in the person with the struggle to let go.
Hanging onto one's reaction to a situation is a habit. Pure and simple.
For most it's a deeply entrenched habit that is not going to give up without a struggle. The mind will work ever so hard to have the thinker, the person, believe that the past way of reacting to a situation is the only way to react to that situation.
The mind wants the mind holder to believe that there is no other way to respond to the events that Life throws at us.
And after several decades of conditioning on our own part through existence on this physical plane, and additionally the cultural conditioning over the millenia that was programmed into our genes over that extended period of time, one can easily see how enormous this type of watershed change is going to be. That is, to actually let go.
But, let go of what?
Let go of the past.
Past behavior.
Past thoughts.
Past actions.
Past beliefs.
It's not easy to do. And even though one may say they want it, even though one may say that they believe in it, that is not enough to make it happen.
But, contrary to this, it still does come down to an actual moment of 'letting go'.
Yes, it doesn't make sense. Yes, it still begs the question "So, exactly how do I let go?"
Well, when I found myself posing that type of question once several years ago, I was given the answer that it's kind of like choosing between two different ice cream flavors in the ice cream aisle in the supermarket. How do you chose between vanilla or chocolate? Easy...
You just choose. You see a choice, and then you choose.
Is letting go that easy as well? Well, when done after much resolve and inner conviction, yes, it is.
It's a whole body understanding that the past baggage held inside the mind to-date no longer is appropriate for this same situation from hereon in.
It's a complete and absolute knowing that behaving the way one has to-date no longer is needed. Or necessary.
It's dropping what was. And accepting what is.
It's giving up the struggle with what is.
And to quote J. Khrisnamurti when he was near the latter part of his life: "I don't mind what happens."
I don't mind what happens. When that is felt throughout the body, and only then, is one letting go. There is no mental decision.
Letting go is outside the mind. Letting go is seeing that what is, is. And any amount of denial, fighting, resisting, arguing, wishing, or bargaining isn't going to change what is.
Letting go. It really is an art.
The salient question right here and right now for you, my dear reader, is: Are you willing to wipe off the canvas of your Life, and start now clean, clear, and new?
You can let go of whatever Life situation is bothering you, you know. Trust me on this.
Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'
(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)
Posted by Andre Best at 12:14 PM | Comments (1)
January 5, 2007
A Blog Comment Is Worth A Thousand Words
Isn't it interesting how one situation can elicit as many different responses as there are people involved in that situation?
What comes to mind is recent occurrences of comments and submittals to my blog here at andrebest.com
The comments range from the one end of concurring with what I write and praise and admiration for my words and my sharing all the way to the other end of comments about my blog having a holier-than-thou style.
I find it most interesting that people who comment on my blog most likely are not aware that their comments are not so much about my blog, but, rather are a clear indication of themselves inside and how much darkness or Light their soul is showing at that point in time.
I'll explain.
When I have, say, a person stating that my blog is wonderful and offers such cogent writing on a variety of topics that really resonate with that particular person, the feeling and the agreement that they are writing to share with me is not something that I'm putting out there in my writings, but something that is being touched on inside them.
We all know the old saying 'like attracts like'.
Well, this is not only a statement about two people liking each other but can and does also apply here.
Let me offer hopefully a better and prettier analogy to what I'm trying to relay here.
Say you're driving in your car and you come around a bend in the road and 'lo and behold you're presented with a suddenly stark and incredibly beautiful scene of nature that literally takes your breath away with its intense beauty and splendor.
Perhaps it even brings you to tears like Jodie Foster's character in Contact was experiencing when she first saw those space constellations that were beyond words for description.
Now, most people would automatically think that the feeling inside the viewer, the sensations of beauty, were created by the scene; however, what is actually happening is the scene AROUSED the feelings inside the viewer.
Like attracts like.
The person in the car views the beautiful nature scene and feels a sense of awe and splendour inside and attributes that to what is viewed. But the awe and splendiferous feelings are actually inside the person and were only AWAKENED by the scene outside of them.
The beauty outside gave rise to the feelings of beauty inside the person.
Like attracts like.
This would apply to every other feeling in a person.
Sadness.
Anger.
Loneliness.
Jealousy.
Fear.
Hatred.
Rage.
Someone or some situation outside of you causes you to feel a feeling in you and you attribute that to the person or situation outside of you.
But the feeling is inside of you, was always inside of you, and yet was only 'awakened' by the event outside of you.
It's all an inside job.
So, getting back to the comments from the many people who read my blog.
Are they REALLY about what I wrote? Is there really any way that I could have somehow written articles here that are both splendiferous and cogent and at the same time holier-than-thou in attitude?
Based on what I wrote above, I say "no".
And I bring it back to 'like attracts like'.
Someone who thinks that my blog has a holier-than-thou attitude obviously is feeling that way inside themselves. My words somehow just awakened that darkness inside them.
They're the one feeling holier-than-thou. I just wrote an article or articles for my blog.
Someone else feeling grateful and peaceful inside after reading my blog and saying that they feel a connection to my words is simply reflecting the feelings that were awakened inside them after internalizing these words I e-shared via my blog article(s).
What's going on inside the person is not a result of what's going on outside the person, contrary to massively accepted public opinion. That is, rather, it's an inside job.
The person reading my blog having the holier-than-thou comments IS the person feeling holier-than-thou.
And my blog reader, many of them, with the peacefulness and sense of connectedness comments IS the person feeling this way inside. They're feeling what they're feeling because they already had the feelings inside of them.
I didn't make anyone feel this way. People reading my blog and articles make their own choice to feel inside as they do after reading.
Now, what does this have to do with anything?
Well, perhaps one can use it to help them throughout their days and interrelating with others as an indicator, a window, into the 'soul' of the other person. More specifically, where these other people are 'at' inside.
Do you really want to be in relation with someone who offers nothing but angry words and comments about things they read (and see, and experience for that matter)? Or would you rather be in relation with someone who has an opinion revolving around common sharing and positive integration and usefulness to them as a person after reading/seeing/experiencing things. Even writings that 'appear' to be controversial.
Reading a writing DOESN'T have to illicit angry comments in a person. That person is making that choice inside. And people like that I personally don't want to be around. Ever. There is enough darkness in the world, and I do what I can to minimize it in mine.
I know who I would rather hang around with and have in my life. And I hope that an insight like this, as simplistic as it appears at first glance, is useful to you, my committed readers, during your daily relations with other humans and situations on this plane.
After all, it's all for fun, isn't it? Really.
Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'
(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)
Posted by Andre Best at 9:08 PM | Comments (0)