One of the most useful, sanity-enhancing life skills is the ability to let-go.
Whether it's an emotional hurt, some anger, a situation in your life, or even a dream you finally realize won't come true, there comes a time when letting go is the wisest thing to do.
Even good things must eventually end, or at least change.
That things will change is one of the few certainties of life.
Accepting that certainty, then gracefully making the transition to whatever comes next, allows you to stay afloat in the current of life.
This has been called "living-in-the-present".
Being "present" means being responsive to life as it is right now.
"Right now" is, of course, when everything happens.
To be available for living "right now" is to maintain a freshness and a freedom that make life interesting and fun.
The present is only an instant.
And it's always changing.
It's a challenge to stay responsive, mostly because of thoughts that stick to us.
We tend to hold onto and nourish thoughts long after their time has passed.
We nourish them by giving them our attention and letting them play over and over in our minds.
If they're thoughts of the past, they're often connected with regret and longing.
Thoughts of the future are often full of fear and longing.
Either way, they can be compelling, repetitious and distracting.
You can't drive these thoughts away.
It's like trying not to think of a pink monkey.
In fact, fighting them is a way to nourish them.
Any kind of attention keeps them alive.
Letting go means learning to ignore them.
When they come up you just pay attention to something else, whatever's happening "now".
Just keep turning away, mentally.
You can't keep thoughts from returning but you can turn your back on them by letting another thought in.
Allow yourself to become absorbed by the new thought and there won't be any room for the old one.
It will slowly dissolve.
It will return.
Do it again.
Refusing to nourish troublesome thoughts will cause them to fade and lose strength.
Soon they will be just memories.
Whether it's an emotional hurt, some anger, a situation in your life, or even a dream you finally realize won't come true, there comes a time when letting go is the wisest thing to do.
Even good things must eventually end, or at least change.
That things will change is one of the few certainties of life.
Accepting that certainty, then gracefully making the transition to whatever comes next, allows you to stay afloat in the current of life.
This has been called "living-in-the-present".
Being "present" means being responsive to life as it is right now.
"Right now" is, of course, when everything happens.
To be available for living "right now" is to maintain a freshness and a freedom that make life interesting and fun.
The present is only an instant.
And it's always changing.
It's a challenge to stay responsive, mostly because of thoughts that stick to us.
We tend to hold onto and nourish thoughts long after their time has passed.
We nourish them by giving them our attention and letting them play over and over in our minds.
If they're thoughts of the past, they're often connected with regret and longing.
Thoughts of the future are often full of fear and longing.
Either way, they can be compelling, repetitious and distracting.
You can't drive these thoughts away.
It's like trying not to think of a pink monkey.
In fact, fighting them is a way to nourish them.
Any kind of attention keeps them alive.
Letting go means learning to ignore them.
When they come up you just pay attention to something else, whatever's happening "now".
Just keep turning away, mentally.
You can't keep thoughts from returning but you can turn your back on them by letting another thought in.
Allow yourself to become absorbed by the new thought and there won't be any room for the old one.
It will slowly dissolve.
It will return.
Do it again.
Refusing to nourish troublesome thoughts will cause them to fade and lose strength.
Soon they will be just memories.