Just let it go!

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There are all kinds of things in life that we know we should let go of, yet there is a part of us who would give almost anything to hold on to them.  It might be a grudge, an old love, even bad memories which provide us ammunition when we want to justify certain actions that we take.  No matter how you look at it, holding on to something that is not of benefit to you is certain death.  Now I am not speaking about physical death, although there are people who will go to an early grave because of certain things that they are unable to let go of.

If you look at the picture that accompanies today's blog you can see a pair of handcuffs.  When these cuffs are opened up they almost form a heart. Why is this significant?  If you are unable to forgive, if you are unable to forget, if you are unable to move forward, then for all intents and purposes your heart will be closed off to almost anything that could be good in your life.  When you open up your heart and realize that this is the only way in which to live your life then almost all those things that have hampered you in the past seem to melt away.  Loving someone who has done you a wrong is difficult, but if you are unable to display love, then you loose on two counts. Not only are you hurt by the actions of others, but you have hurt yourself by your own actions, or in some cases inaction.  Love in its simplest form is the one thing that should be ever present in your life.  Showing love to others will break down walls.  It will melt the hardest of heart, and in most cases it will free up feelings and emotions that have been blocked for far too long.

When one has difficulty letting go of things, then I would think you need to ask yourself why.  Why is it so difficult to let go?  Why do these old emotions keep coming back and why do they still bother me?  Why can't I just get over it and move on with my life?  Most everyone has asked these questions in the past, and probably will ask them again at some point in time in the future.  The great thing about it is that you are at least asking the question.  If you walk around ignoring all these things then it is most likely that you will not have the ability to let go of those things that need to be let go of.  To be handcuffed to past hurts, past loses, past regrets, is to place your self into a prison cell without a key or even the possibility of ever escaping your captors.  Trust me, I have been bound up with past hurts, fears, and regrets for way too many years and all it got me was acid in my stomach and sleepless nights.  I had to find a way of letting go of things, and until such time as I did, you can bet your bottom dollar I was as miserable as anyone could get.  I would get angry at the drop of a hat, fly off the handle at some stupid, almost inconsequential event, and blow my stack at what most people would say is nothing at all.  I know none of you have had to deal with things like this, but just in case I wanted the truth to come out.

Letting go of things to most people is not easy, after all many have had practice for many years of holding on to things that should be done away with.  That being said, failure to learn this valuable lesson is going to keep you in bondage, and that bondage will never be easy to live through.  When you open your heart to forgiveness, when you are able to turn the other cheek, and when you are able to let go, you then leave the past which allows you to live in today, and that opens the door for the future.  The true measure of spiritual maturity is when you are able to look at a situation and realize that there is learning to be had, and in this learning you are taking one giant leap toward greater understanding of just what it is to be free from those things that would love to keep you down.  I have seen people who have let situations that took place ten, twenty, or even thirty years ago, dictate all their tomorrows.  This can never be a good thing, and once you are able to understand this, you will be putting yourself in a very admirable place.

Letting go can be difficult, but letting go is the only thing that can keep you moving forward toward your destiny and being the person you were created to be.  Don't allow past hurts, fears, lost loves, or whatever is looking you in the face deter you from what you were called to do in this life.  Letting go of the past is something you must do.  I know you can do it, and truth be told, I suspect you want to do that.  When things are difficult it is in direct correlation to the blessings that will come from it.  I am determined to empty myself of past hurt and fear, because anything less than that will keep me from doing what I was destined to do.  My desire to talk about destiny to others is what allows me the ability to get over things.  Your desire to accomplish the things in your life must also be the driver which allows you to shed the past and move onward.  I know you can do it, and I cannot wait to hear all the stories of success.  Take that step toward your future by leaving the past behind you.  We can learn from the past, we just can't be stuck in it.