Cherishing the Fact, You're Alive

Preparing to present a devotion at a craft group following a presentation by a funeral director, I decided to run with the flow, and get people engaged in the imminence of their death.

'What do you want said at your funeral?' I asked.

Nothing elicits thought for the transient nature of life more, for me, then the panpipes instrumental, The Lonely Shepherd. Any time I hear this music I instantly think of my death. And such a thought is a blessing.

It is not a morbid thought. It is the thought grounded in the reality that God could remove my breath and stop my heart within a second. Or, cause me to be diagnosed with cancer tomorrow. These are such humbling realities. It puts all our stresses and complexities and conflicts into context.

The question that arises for me out of the thought of my death is, 'Am I cherishing the fact that I'm alive?' Am I holding life lightly? Am I too buried in my work? Am I making enough time for my relationships? - for my wife, my son, my daughters, my parents? What am I putting off that I shouldn't be? Who is it that will really miss me when I'm gone? And am I making time for these people now? Have these people seen the best of me yet? Have I made all efforts to reconcile with those I've aggrieved? Am I making God known? Am I aware of all should be? What should I do before I die?

Have I got any regrets about life? Can I do anything about them? Have I truly accepted the consequences of my actions? Is there joy in my life? What can I do to connect myself to peace, hope and joy?

What am I missing? As opposed to 'What am I missing out on?'

This is the most pulsating fact of life: you and I are alive, for such a time as this, and yet soon it will be over. As we all know, with grandparents and parents having passed away, or those getting ready for such an event, life seems long, but from some viewpoints of irony it is very short indeed.

It isn't a morbid thought to plan for one's funeral; such a thought reminds us how precious life is, and it causes us to cherish the fact that we are alive.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Cherishing-the-Fact,-Youre-Alive&id=9987463

Lessons From the Untethered Soul (By Shelley Roy)

Having read several of my books, blogs, and articles, by now you are probably aware that like Michael Singer, I believe we are trying to do something that doesn't work - we are trying to find love, joy, happiness, etc. outside of ourselves. We are trying to control something that is not within our control: other people and the world around us. Everything we wish to experience is part of our inner landscape; they are not out there somewhere to be found.

Singer in his book, the untethered soul, helps you explore your inner landscape, an activity that for me has been a life long journey. He begins by asking you to look at the concept of self and the inner dialogue you engage in with self. Once you begin to think about and explore the concept of self, you quickly realize "... the concept of 'self' may turn out to be a bit more elusive than initially presumed."

As a human you have been both blessed and cursed by your ability to think about your thinking. The blessing is that it is in the world of your thoughts that you can control your experiences in life. The curse is you are probably looking to the world to have specific experiences and your inner dialogue is acting as the judge of what's happening around you. Breaking the barrier of this inner and outer world thinking will free you from your perceived problems.

So how do you begin to do this - you become intimately aware of your inner roommate - the voice inside of you. You recognize that your inner voice will never be content and at peace, and you let go of "I". You recognize that-"Your consciousness is actually experiencing your mental model of reality, not reality itself." When you perceive a problem you stop asking, "What should I do about this?" and start asking, "What part of me is being disturbed by this?" What part of me is ________ (jealous, angry, frustrated, irritated, etc.)? Singer states, "You will not be able to solve anything outside until you own how the situation affects you inside." For a man not familiar with Perceptual Control Theory (PCT), he has captured one of its greatest lessons. Disturbance is an inside job.

Letting go of the inner judge and shifting your thinking to what I like to call the balcony view immediately relieves stress. My good friend Andrea Christopher once described it this way - it's as if I am the math problem, then I am working the math problem and finally I am watching myself work the math problem. "You don't have to think about it or analyze it; you can just be aware of it." Doing this allows you to let go of the "I".

From the balcony you allow yourself to "experience every note the heart can play." You recognize that everything is just information and it's up to you to quiet the roommate and relax into the moment. Singer provided me with a more spiritual perspective on PCT which is a very science heavy explanation of human behavior.

This book was like diving into the deep end of the pool of my own soul. PCT with a spiritual twist. I loved it!

https://ezinearticles.com/?Lessons-From-the-Untethered-Soul&id=9443118

Where Does The Fast Lane Go?

"I am a marketing executive working for a company. We are authorized channel partner of a big concern. I have huge targets to be accomplished each and every month but due to the present market conditions I am not able to achieve them. The job is a great pressure and the stress level is much too high for me to cope up with. How can I come to terms with it?"

This person is one of millions trying to live in the fast lane and keep their nerves intact. He is young, educated, dynamic and... disintegrating! The pace of modern life seems so hasty - just a whirl of minutes, hours, and days.

Living in the fast lane is heady. The mind is fully charged and the body keeps on pumping more adrenaline into the blood stream. People are momentarily on a high, but the high is shadowed by the low which comes in its wake.

In metro-cities, commuting to work for an hour each way is normal. Has anybody thought what effect it has on the nervous system and the physique?

Joyce Walsleben, director of New York University's Sleep Disorders Center, says about her research: "We found that people on a long commute, separate from their weight or obesity or age or any other factor, tended to have higher blood pressure and many of them had hypertension."

Walsleben conducted a study of 21,000 Long Island Railroad commuters who travelled more than an hour and fifteen minutes between work and home. "Half of them couldn't stay awake when they had to or they couldn't fall asleep when they wanted to," she says.

Teens today have adapted to busy schedules like they would a second skin. They compromise - on sleep, on homework, on social lives. They learn to get by. Whatever it takes to balance school, sports activities, part-time jobs and family obligations, t complete for a place in college, to have spending money...

Fast food, fast relationships, fast success... people need everything fast. Eating on the run is the most popular mode of eating. Seventy per cent of people in America prefer eating in a drive-through restaurant. "The fat-paced, time-constrained lifestyle that we as a society have developed over the past decade is driving the demand for drive-thrus," says Stephen Spence, served as vice president with Southwest Securities in Dallas. "It's an integral part of the way we eat today."

However, it's not just in America that the fast food craze has taken off. Eateries and fast parlors have mushroomed all over the world and never lack customers.

Life is more exciting but also more tiring. The signs of fast lane fatigue are in evidence. It is clear that the fascination with speed and efficiency has taken a more serious turn. So many people are living in the fast lane, with or without the knowledge that the road ends on a cliff.

But does that mean we should reverse the gear and go back to the good old days? Certainly not. There is no rewinding in the time track. What is more intelligent and creative is to turn the situation into a blessing. Create new devices to relax in the fast lane. Let life run full speed while you sit back and relax in the whirlpool of activity.

It is said that the contemporary man has everything but time. Absolutely true. But what about one-minute meditations? Why not make the most of every minute?

This is what this post is about. There are many fast lane relaxation techniques for you. It's fun, not a serious affair. Life is so short, who has time for lengthy, serious meditations? Let the turmoil be on the surface. Think of the ocean where in the depth there are no waves, no turbulence. It is simply a question of turning in.

If you have a long commute every day, use that time for talking gibberish to relieve tension. Or, sit back and watch the mind. Let the vehicle whir at the top speed, you can slow down within. Be aware of the gaps in thoughts, in feelings, in breaths, between two gears or two cars... Look for the gaps, and your energy will fall into a relaxed space.

Life is full of competition. You can compete with yourself.

Who doesn't get the blues? But you can dance them away.

Especially in these times of panic and fear, it is imperative to hold onto our sanity. If the future seems to be increasingly bleak, start living in the present. Go deeper and deeper into very moment and life in the fast lane will be transformed. Then you will actually start enjoying it without having to suffer from its side effects.

We are really at the crossroad in the world's history. It is absolutely up to us which fork we take - either down towards fear, anxiety, and finally global suicide; or up towards responsibility, consciousness and love - the golden future.

There are millions hits on the internet search drive for Wellness - from mental to physical health, cardiac fitness, cancer, yoga, how to overcome certain ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, stoke, and tips on weight loss and how to grow taller, with many other ideas getting honorable mention. It takes quite a bit of research to find any one site that has so much to offer on all these fronts, let alone one that can combine all the needs for your innermost wellness - joy, bliss and beyond. For wellness' sake you can stop looking out there, and take some time for yourself, a sort of one-stop-shop: Balanced Lifestyle Wikipedia.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Where-Does-The-Fast-Lane-Go?&id=10037309

Genuine Success Comes In Work Clothes (The Stepping Stone To Greatness)

The rejection or the rejection letter seems like a horrible thing, does it not? Well, it is good if you can persist through that seemingly permanent defeat, and make it genuinely temporary. Some of the best realities in life come after the worst defeats we can suffer. I mean think about this particular scenario: H. Richard Hornberger or Richard Hooker as he is known had his novel about three Army Doctors rejected so many times that ultimately something good had to happen with it. What happened with it? It became a popular novel, motion picture, a television series and ultimately a cultural icon. (Yes, I am writing about MASH, or Mobile Army Surgical Hospital)

I would mention more temporary defeats and seeming setbacks and disasters, but I just mentioned that to "wet your whistle" on what I am writing about to make the point. The point is: Real winning comes looking like a training ground of disaster and hard work. Oh, it is easy to have the silver or gold spoon in your mouth and have lauding without earning it and before even doing anything, in fact before you fall flat on your face out of the gate of really trying to do something with that burden, it feels wonderful to get the prize (for a second) without earning it. Indeed, genuine success comes in work clothes, training, understanding and development. Not unproven lauding and unearned praise before even starting to do anything. Sure, some people succeed without knowing what they are doing from the start and get lucky, but ask them to repeat that sort of success, usually without amazing blessing, they cannot repeat it. I use the word "blessing" in this case instead of the word "luck", because if that sort of providence can be repeated without knowing what one it doing, that is more than just luck, that is a blessing. But if that blessing does not happen after the initial luck, it is a curse when you fall flat on your face without knowing what you are doing, really.

Any way it goes, the earned way is the best way to do it, because you do not depend on luck. Genuine understanding and repeatable knowledge of success is always a blessing. The best way to do things is when success comes in work clothes as a stable stepping stone to greatness. Luck without a foundation even with repeatable blessing and not any genuine knowledge anchoring it will always sink ultimately. But, greatness that is real with knowledge and genuine understanding at its base always beats the luck and blessing without that knowledge every time. In fact, I will say here that luck and blessing combined with earned understanding is the ultimate winner. That is reality. The fantasy is the easy way out that depends on luck purely. After all, "nothing is worse than a muddy tuxedo" to end with a little humor and a hint at what I really mean by the title of this piece.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Genuine-Success-Comes-In-Work-Clothes-(The-Stepping-Stone-To-Greatness)&id=9773871

The Responsibility of a Blessing (By Gini Cunningham)

Every one of us has certain blessings that we have been bequeathed. The source of these is determined by the individual: family inheritance, role model, higher being, or an indeterminate provisionary. Blessings just seem to appear and may be a smile, a sparkling eye, drive and determination, honesty and integrity, and in fact, boundless possibilities. With cultivation blessings develop over time and transform us into better, kinder, and empowered individuals.

I have decided that my blessing is my drive and determination. When I see something I want or that I want done, I jump on the opportunity to bring it to fruition. I may bump into obstacles and naysayers along the way, I may have to alter and adjust course as needs change over time, I may encounter disgruntled discouragement, but when I have a dream, I find it very difficult to let it go. Even if in the end I am the only one basking in the warmth of the dream, I can still call it my success.

Imagine my surprise when sharing this blessing idea with a group of friends to receive a heaping dose of negativity from one member who screamed that her blessing - being a whirlwind of activity - was considered a curse. "I just want to be able to sit down and do nothing!" she screeched. As I pointed out that that wouldn't be her, that her bustle permits accomplishment, she became even more infuriated to the degree that I tried to melt into the background and turn my attention elsewhere. She muttered on as I pondered her face and tone and decided that I guess her blessing, though viewed by me as wonderful, had transformed into a curse in her own mind and that there was no changing her attitude and outlook.

All of this forced me to reflect upon blessings, those special, unique talents we possess and wonder how others perceive themselves and their own talents. Do I look at a dedicated worker and spin positive thoughts but were I to dig deeper would I find a worker who is only laboring because s/he must and that there is no dedication or positivity involved. I suppose I could ask or run a survey but my yelling friend has made me a bit afraid to approach let alone discuss this matter.

But then again, maybe it is time for me to study the characters around me a little more closely, uncover what I believe to be the most blessed part of their being, and then point it out with effusive praise and thanksgiving. Would my positive outpouring produce positive outpouring in return? Now I know it will not work for my above-mentioned friend. To begin with she is not a listener and so she would not hear my words or correctly interpret their intent. So I must more carefully to examine my prospective praise receivers and be ready to turn and run when my positive nature unseats negative reaction.

Think about yourself and your blessings. Do you make the most of them even when after effort and hard work they tire and frustrate you or are you mad at the outset and so anger only accelerates as you spin along with your blessing cum curse? I guess the real question is can you accept who you are and be thankful each moment or are you content to wallow in discontent?

https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Responsibility-of-a-Blessing&id=9064720

How to Break Through Regrets in Life

Regrets are all too common. Doesn't it seem like they are just a part of life? Like we will always look back on our lives and regret how we lived it, and if we live a life without regrets we're somehow cheating the system?

I was reading an article on Business Insider on the most common regrets in life and I have to say, that was depressing. I had the feeling that the people who weighed in couldn't get past all of the things they had done wrong and there seemed to be a lack of appreciation for their lives.

It's one thing to say, "I wish I had traveled years ago, but I'm so glad I started when I did." But it's completely another to talk about what we missed out on by not traveling sooner or how traveling would have provided something we think we're missing.

There is a simple fact here and one I try to remember whenever I'm looking back on the past: we can't go back and change the past.

Isn't it silly to allow ourselves to miss out on life while we regret the past? If we're not careful, it can become a never-ending cycle. We keep looking back on our past, regretting the chances we didn't take or the mistakes we made all while doing the same thing in our current lives. When do we start living for today (or our future) and not our past?

The thing is, the way we lived our past created who we are today. That isn't something to take lightly. Our experiences give us an opportunity to learn and grow. Don't miss out on that opportunity by living with regrets. It's okay to say you wished you had done something differently, but work on replacing that with a blessing. What is the positive thing that can come from it? I know it's there somewhere, you just have to look for it.

A lot of people say, "I didn't have a choice." But that's not true. Whether we like it or not, we do have a choice. We don't have to stick with a job that doesn't pay. We don't have to stick with a job we can't stand. We don't have to stick with a job that doesn't give us the kind of lifestyle we want. If the job keeps us away from our family for months at a time and we don't like it, unless we signed a binding contract, we can quit today. If the job doesn't pay well enough for our family's needs, we can start searching for a new job today.

We can choose which things we keep as priorities. If we want to save money, we can choose to cancel cable TV or Netflix. We can choose not to buy that expensive vehicle on the sales lot. We can choose to buy a house that is well below our means rather than overextending ourselves financially. We can choose to relocate if the real estate market in our area has grown beyond a reasonable level. We don't have to rent an apartment for $1,500 a month. We have the choice to move to a less expensive area or state. We always have a choice.

Sadly, it's too easy to believe the lies that we are stuck where we are. Sometimes we need to stay where we are so we can learn the lessons that God has planned for us, but when we focus on those lessons and actually learn from them, He opens new doors. When we learn, we have a chance to grow.

What effect do regrets have on our future? What damage does it do to our beliefs?

Having regrets makes it hard to embrace the life we have right now. It keeps us dwelling on what could have been. If only I had stayed at that job. If only I had bought that house. If only I had avoided that mistake. If only I had said the right thing. If only I had gone after that degree.

Focusing on the shoulda, coulda, wouldas keeps us from enjoying all of the great things that are happening in our lives right now. It keeps us frustrated, irritated, or uninspired. But when we take responsibility for our actions and appreciate the things that we do have, we allow ourselves to experience joy and peace.

How much we enjoy life depends greatly on how we view it and how we see our level of responsibility. It is up to us, and we always have a choice. The choice may not be easy or what we expect, and it may require us to have a strategy (or faith!) and stick with our current situation until the time is right, but we do have a choice. Don't live a life full of regrets. Let go of the past and live for today.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Break-Through-Regrets-in-Life&id=9410375

How a Positive Attitude Can Impact Your Life

I am going to be pretty straight with you about this one.

I am all about those happy, positive vibes! I repel negativity and personally consider it a sin. Who has time for the sad, lost and the unhappy, when there is a life full of amazing possibilities and exciting opportunities waiting to be lived?!

I am in no way saying that I stay 100% positive all the time. That's not really possible. Life does throw you a wicked one every now and then. At such a point, laughing would be downright stupid. But if there is the slightest bit of hope in such a situation then you must find it, no matter what the cost!

That's the simple philosophy of positivity.

Most people use the terms 'positivity' and 'optimism' synonymously. That's absolutely wrong and you need to know the difference between the approaches. Because how will you stay positive if you don't know, what all goes into the mix?

So let's get the difference sorted first.

Positivity, means accepting that there is every possibility of things not working out or situations going sour; and still choosing to look for a way out of the problem. It is a thought process, a way of thinking.

Optimism, on the other hand is a belief. It is the belief that no matter what happens, things will ultimately work out. It's also refusing to believe or accept that things could go sideways.

Positivity or Positive thinking is a wider concept, which includes concepts like optimism, happiness, cheerfulness, etc. in it. So the aim isn't to be the most optimistic. That you will become eventually, when things go your way. The aim is to be positive. It is to develop a positive attitude towards whatever you do. It is, in a way, forcing your mind to accept that despite whatever the outcome, it is essential that you stay positive throughout.

While it is easy for someone who is inherently positive, to tell others to stay positive. It can be quite a challenge for someone who is used to being negative, to suddenly wake up and say, "Now on, it's positivity all the way!!" It is never that simple. But, it doesn't have to be all that complicated either. Positivity is a habit that can be easily cultivated. It may seem like an effort initially. But soon it will become part of your life.

Thinking positively will become second nature.

So, given below are some of the most commonly used and easy to apply methods for developing a positive attitude towards life in general.

1. Look the part

Yes. If you look good, you feel great! That is what they say and that is what is true. Don't dress in dark or dull colours, looking prepped to attend a 'mourning' session and then expect to feel all energetic and positive. That's not how it works. Wear clothes that are bright and colourful. I don't mean you need to look like a rainbow! But dress in warm colours. Replace all the dark and morose colours and go for something sunshine and lively. Even if the outfit is a plain Jane. The colours can be bright and happy. Make an effort and look like you have positivity on your mind.

2. Understand that 100% isn't what you always need

Some people have this idea, that if it isn't 100% what they thought, then it isn't worth anything. It may not be what you want. But that does not mean it is not worth anything.What you want and what you need are two entirely different concepts.

When life gives you lemons, you have three options. You can either cry, make lemonade or bring out the tequila. And no I am not joking.

So it isn't the picture perfect thing you imagined or even asked for. But buddy, at least it is something. Would you rather have 50% of something or 100% of nothing? 

The choice is yours.

But remember, somewhere out there, someone would kill to have what you are willing to throw away. Appreciate what you've been handed and try to see the bigger picture.

3. Every cloud has a silver lining

Suppose you are faced with a situation and you know that in the end, it will not go entirely or maybe even partly the way you want it to. So what should you do in such a situation? Quit?

No, you go through with it. Not because you want to prove a point to the world, but because you will be wiser for it. Everything that happens in life is either a blessing or a lesson. You win some, you lose some. But you always gain some.

Also, when one door closes, that's the exact time another one opens. So if you waste time being down about what you lost, you won't be ready to accept what is about to come your way.

Every cloud has a silver lining. It is simply a question of finding it.

4. Wait to Worry

Life may be short, but trust me there is plenty of time to worry. So don't rush it. Wait a bit longer. Stay happy and positive about a situation, a little longer. Smile some more and make others happy. When the time comes, you will have to worry as it is. Why rush it?

Besides, it is scientifically proven that worrying unnecessarily is a far bigger waste of time, energy and resources, than being positive is. Because when you worry, you're too preoccupied to see all the other possibilities around you. But when you are positive, you notice and take in a lot more.

So wait a while. Worry later.

5. Don't subject yourself to negativity

This one I find absolutely bizarre!

There was a show going on, on television. It started as a debate, but ended up becoming a screaming match.

Just before the show started, my friend and I were having a nice cheerful conversation.While watching the show, I realized it was too much nonsense and turned my attention away from the screen. But next to me, my friend was watching the show with crazy attention. At one point when there was an exchange of swear words, she shut her ears, but didn't stop watching it.

This made me wonder who's crazier? The people on the show or the ones watching the show?!

If someone or something around you is not nice or is killing your vibe, why subject yourself to more of it?

Stop! Just stop putting yourself through it!!

You deserve to watch something motivating, energizing, and fun like a cool cartoon movie. Not a bunch of cartoons screaming!

6. Stop and smell the roses!

Get out of the house, take a walk in the garden, actually go smell some flowers, get the good energy flowing in. Surround yourself with all the positivity that nature has already given you. Inside your house your body and mind are both restricted.

Outside, with nature, everything will seem a million times better and so much more beautiful. So make it a point every single day to go out and spend time with yourself.

7. Surround yourself with positive influences

Keep yourself surrounded by people who believe in staying positive. It will eventually rub off. For a few days you'll feel like you're in a crowd of weirdos (believe me, I am one of them). But slowly, their excitement and enthusiasm will spread to you and you will in turn spread it to others.

Positivity is infectious. It spreads without a sound and you'll never know what hit you!

So let this be a mission. Try your hand at some positivity.

Do you think you have what it takes to be positive, come what may?

Good luck!

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-a-Positive-Attitude-Can-Impact-Your-Life&id=9318767

Do Not Weary of Doing Good, For At the Proper Time, You Will Reap a Harvest, If You Do Not Give Up

A meditation to Galatians 6:9.

LIFESAVING was this particular Word at the worst time of my life; when shards of rejection had filled being, I really did need the encouragement: do not weary of doing good, for at the proper time you'll reap a harvest if you don't give up.

Let's put it another way:

We may be fatigued, but let's not give up, for the blessing is just about to be realised.

Despairing of the famine is crippling but when famine lasts into despair the heart runs sick of hope. So don't give up, and, even if you have, don't give up completely. Get back into it before it's too late.

Each day has a hundred events: trials, joys, frustrations, bores. Resilience in the face of the aridity is key. Nothing fancy is needed, just the patience that says, "Don't give in!"

You have been pushed too far, and you may be about to blow a fuse, but think of the collateral damage. It's not just about you... but at the end of the day it is. We take matters into our own hands at our own peril.

If you don't give up and don't give in, provided others are not steamrolled in the process, you get to live and fight another day. At the right time you'll be blessed.

Joy follows the trials of sorrow as surely as relief begets peace. Believe for a better time to come and it will surely arrive at its appointed time.

If you haven't caught on by now, the key of life is to hold on when we want to let go, but at times it's about letting go when we want to hold on. The former is about courageous grit; the latter, forgiveness.

When we most want to give up we're closer than ever to blessing, but we cannot see it. We need vision just over the horizon, but that's not how vision works. We cannot see what we cannot see. We must dearly trust that the Lord has our lives and interests at heart - and he has.

Have I said it plainly enough yet? Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up.

At the proper time you'll reap a harvest of goodness if you don't give up doing good.

***

If, at the proper time,

You've not given in to being weary,

God will give you a way to climb,

Out of the situation that made you teary.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Do-Not-Weary-of-Doing-Good,-For-At-the-Proper-Time,-You-Will-Reap-a-Harvest,-If-You-Do-Not-Give-Up&id=9161845

Letting Go of the Past, of Attachments and of Fears

I am sure you have heard the phrase ‘let go’, more than a few times.

What do these words mean? What do you let go?

This phrase is often said, when someone is having pain for something that happened in the past. Most people are unable to quit the past and go on. They keep thinking about it, causing themselves suffer.

The problem is people don’t know how to let go.

There is attachment, and there is the fear of letting go.

People fear they might lose something in this process, but losing what is causing pain is a blessing. It is not a loss.

Too much involvement past memories, suffering, unhappy thoughts and negative people, take too much of your time, energy and health. This involvement agitates your mind and feelings, obstructs common sense, and prevents you from enjoying inner peace. Letting go is the answer.

What Is Letting Go?

• It is stopping the attachment to the past, especially to painful past memories, and focusing on the present. When you release the past you can start accepting the present.
• It is non-attachment to results. This means that you do your best in every situation, but if things do not turn well or as planned, you don’t dwell on them and don’t get disappointed or discouraged.
• Letting go is like lifting the anchor of your ship, so that it can sail away. In order to move on, you need to release thoughts, habits, fears and worries. These are you anchor, your shackles that tie you down to the same habits, circumstances and a certain way of life.
• Letting go requires a certain degree of emotional detachment. This leads to non-attachment, about which all the spiritual traditions speak about.

If you don’t let go, you remain tied and not free. You limit your perception, cause yourself stress and tension. If you cannot detach yourself from painful memories, envy, jealousy, bad relations, you suffer. It is like being in a swamp, doing nothing to get out.

On the other hand, letting go, detaching yourself from the causes of suffering, brings relief, ease, joy, and love.

Letting go is so valuable, but few people do something about it. It might seem strange, but they prefer to stay where they are, emotionally, mentally and physically, even this hurts them.

People love the familiar and unknown, and feel more comfortable and safer in familiar situations, even if this causes suffering. They fear of the unknown, and therefore, don’t want to let go. They also don’t know how to let go. No one has ever taught them.

Learning to let go requires more than a short article. It requires, guidance inner work and training, and that’s why I wrote a book about it.

Simple Guidelines for Letting Go

1. Make peace with the past. What happened belongs to the past. Don’t let it tie you down. It is time to go on and live. Will thoughts about the past help you? Absolutely not!

Yes, the mind keeps returning to thoughts and memories you would be glad to forget. That’s okay. Be smarter, and use the same technique the mind is using.

Whenever you catch yourself thinking about painful memories, immediately replace them with opposite thoughts. Replace them with positive and happy thoughts. In time, this will turn into a habit.

2. Did you love somebody and you separated?

If you want to get back, and there is such a chance, keep on trying. However, if you see no chance, let go and move on.

Thinking about him or her and suffering is useless. No one gains anything from this situation. It might be easier said than done, but you should move on with your life and meet other people. Don’t stay stuck.

3. Sometimes goals change. Sometimes priorities change. Learn to change with them and take another course, another direction.

4. Fear might be holding you back. Letting go also means facing the fears and disappointments of the past, and then severing you connection with them. Try it, and you will see that it is not so difficult.

5. Are you holding on to old grudges? Do you play in your mind something someone said that hurt you? You are hurting yourself, not the one who hurt you. You are the one suffering and that’s foolish.

Don’t hold on to grudges and hurt feelings. It is like pouring fuel into the fire. Holding on to anger, resentment and hatred will hold you back. It will make you unhappy. Throw away these feelings. Yes, you can. Refuse to have anything to do with them. That might not be easy, but that’s the direct way.

6. If some people discourage you and stand in your way, move on. Meet new people.

7. Open your mind to opportunities, new starts, and new things. Do what makes you happy, improves, improves your life, and benefits you and the society where you live. Don’t be afraid to let go what holds you back.

http://www.successconsciousness.com/blog/personal-development/letting-go-of-the-past/