LETTING GO

- Victoria Holt,  SpiritualMediaInc.com

These days, we are being forced to let go of so much. As the economy spirals downward, people are downsizing, leaving their dream homes and their jobs, and facing a new and simpler way of being.  But I've come to realize that simplifying and letting go is what life is all about.

Throughout our lives we are continuously accumulating; cluttering our lives with people, places and things.  We schedule appointments and run around until our lives are so chaotic that we barely have time to breathe, connect with one another and be present enough to enjoy the intimate moments of our days and nights.   Every day we should let go of something – even if it is just letting go of the experiences of the day before.  After all, the past has gone and all yesterday only exists in our memories.

Letting go can feel like we have been left with a void, but we are actually creating a space for new and wonderful things to come.  If we cling on to the past, we only delay and inhibit the natural release and flow of life.  But how do we surrender and let go with grace when those people, places and things in our life are all that we have ever known?  We have to first understand that our suffering is not only caused by the loss; it is heightened by our desire for a different situation.  The more we desire things to be different, the more we will suffer, and acceptance is the key to reducing pain.

Second, we have to understand is that all things are within our power. We are co-creators of our lives and o thoughts and feelings help create our reality.  If you see yourself as your home and your job, you have just given great power to these things.  As you let go of your favorite car or the home that you have loved, know that because you are the master of your own universe, you can co-create another dream home!  This new home will be just right for the new person that you are to become, once you have been through this transition.  At the end of the day, it is the journey, the lessons learned,  the healing and the spiritual gifts received that really matter – not the end result.

I have just received the news that my father suddenly died of a heart attack in England. I sit here in Los Angeles, stunned at his passing.  He was only 71 and in good health.  He went to the store, paid for his goods; got back in the car, put the key in the ignition and died before he could even turn the engine on.

My father and I had not spoken for nearly ten years. We had a falling out when I moved to America and now he is gone. I sit with tears streaming down my face, feeling the bitter sting of loss and regret, what could have been and what should have been shared, all the wasted moments and missed chances.  This is it – the universal flow of letting go, surrender and release.  Death is the biggest one of them all.

I will grieve today and tomorrow, for as long as it takes and allow this pain, but I'm not going to get stuck.  Yesterday has gone, so while I grieve my father's death, I will take a step each day to be present and continue on my life in his memory.   That is why it is so important that, as well as letting go of the desire for things to be different, we let go of grudges, hate and fear.  These serve no purpose and are a waste of precious time, taking away our energy, our love, our sense of oneness and our greater purpose in life.

When you have finished reading this blog, go call your mother, your father, your brothers, sisters, cousins and friends and tell them how much you love them.  And, even though you are losing your house, your car or your job, it is only their love that matters ... everything else can be replaced.

In Memory of Roger Holt, my beloved Father.  May he rest in peace and know that he was loved.