Release

Something we should strive for is to distinguish between what we can change and what we need to accept. Last week I wrote about the freedom that comes with change. Tonight I am writing about releasing those people, places, and things that we need to let go of and liberate if we can't change them; and therefore, move forward. Also, those negative thoughts, emotions, and feelings that keep us blocked from enjoying our lives and being grateful. Negative thoughts, and wanting to control where we cannot, drag us down, consume us, become obsessive, and drain us of our energy. When we summon the courage to change the things we can and let those go that we cannot, our lives will bless us. There is a cathartic rush when we stop resisting and let go of  concerns, pent up frustrations, hurt, and anger. This sudden flow of feelings and emotions is not only emotionally purging, but psychotherapeutic and conducive to good health of mind and body. It may not only be anger or frustration we need to let go of, but grief over a person who has lost their battle with life, or other sources of loss. There are states of grieving; the last one is acceptance. It is important to feel our feelings and then do what we can to resolve them in ourselves. When we are not able to come to an acceptance of what we cannot change, we continue to think about what is wrong in our lives and spin our wheels. And our anger, hurt, and grief may be turned inward causing us to become inconsolable and depressed. When we are able to let go of what we are resisting or grieving over, we let go of sorrow and feelings of tenseness allowing our minds and bodies to relax. Surprisingly our burdens are lifted. When our energy is either drained or our minds are full of negative energy, there is no place for positive energy to become part of us. At this point, it is important to get our focus off material issues and place it on those values that remain intact like hope, faith, and love. I really like this quote by Emmet Fox: "It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble, how hopeless the outlook, how muddled the tangles, how great the mistakes. A sufficient realization of love dissolves it all." Yes, love, that word as a verb that causes us to get into action mentally and/or physically with a goal that we will be compassionate toward everyone we come contact with.