What would it be like to stop resisting life and just allow it? I mean allow it all without a war in your mind or a plan or a witty comeback. Allow it without letting fear take over and control the show. Just. Let. It be.
Renowned author, Michael Singer says in The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, “The truth is that most of life will unfold in accordance with forces far outside your control, regardless of what your mind says about it.”
I like Michael Singer but his words challenge me greatly. Because this letting go is not my “default”. It feels like going against the grain. Even when I try, fear creeps in. And it is clever. It is sly. Sometimes, it even disguises itself as intuition. Then I have to try to tease that apart too. Is this my inner knowing or just fear in a new suit?
And if not fear, sometimes self-righteousness walks on stage. “How dare he or she or they or the government or the president?” The list goes on. And what makes this all the more challenging is that there is a place for righteous anger and a place even for fear. We need then both. At times…
So how do we let go and allow life? And how do we do discern the difference between our knee-jerk reactions and the next right action? Here are some of the ways I practice:
1. Be still. Life cannot catch up if we don’t stop.
2. Breathe
3. Allow and notice whatever emotion is coming up.
4. Find the emotion in your body. Notice where you are holding yourself tense or tight. Do it without judgment.
5. Notice the story that fear or self-righteousness might be saying.
6. Listen in the stillness and determine if this is a matter that needs your attention or if letting go and allowing are where you need to put your attention.
7. Trust, because everything will probably be okay. It usually is, isn’t it?
8. Finally, be gentle with yourself. We are all on a path. No one does any of this in even close to perfect order.