The lightness of being
Has this year felt somewhat ‘heavy’ for you? It certainly has for me! That’s why I decided to make ‘letting go’ of my ‘emotional clutter’ a daily practice. And what a difference it has made!
You might have noticed that we have a tendency to focus on the negative and dismiss the positive, especially in times of crisis! In the words of Rick Hanson: “Our brain is like velcro for negative experiences and like teflon for positive ones!” It is thanks to Rick’s work that I got to appreciate ‘the negativity bias’ he so eloquently writes about in his book ‘Buddha’s Brain’. Suddenly, my tendency to move towards the negative didn’t seem so alien and made so much more sense. That said, I recognised that I would indulge in my negativity a bit too much at times which certainly didn’t serve me.
While I have always been one who declutters my living space regularly, I have not always heeded the message about the importance of decluttering one’s mind and tending to one’s soul! So, making it a priority right now felt good! So many of us tend to focus exclusively on the physical and in the process neglect the more subtle layers of our being. And, as a result, become ‘congested’, holding onto thoughts and feelings well passed their ‘use by date’. We like the familiar too much and fear the unfamiliar. Most of us are deeply uncomfortable with the unknown, so we hold on to the familiar for dear life depriving ourselves of the boundless beauty that is presented to us when we let go.
The practice of letting go, of course, is a life-long process. It is not easy, but it is simple. Make a conscious decision to ‘unravel’ each day by releasing that which no longer serves you. Thank that experience and see it on its way. For some it’s just a mental exercise, some like to write about it and some create ‘rituals’ for it. Whatever works for you is fine, just do it and watch your life transform as you release those ‘heavy burdens’! The more you do it, the more you’ll get to know the lightness of being I’m talking about!
Jana :)
