Hold On? (Knowing When or If To Let Go)

“Hold on when the world ain’t treating you good, you gotta hold on.  When everybody’s looking at you funny, you gotta hold on.”

~Alabama Shakes Lead Singer Brittany Howard

 

It’s the fall season.

Look at the trees as the leaves change colors.

It’s an entire process.

Part of that process is that some leaves fall before others.

 All the leaves don’t fall at the same time.

Some hold on until the very end.  They let go when it’s their time to let go.

Sometimes you need to continue to hold on until it is time to let go.  

If you let go too soon you’ll look back, you’ll have regrets, you’ll wonder if you did the right thing.

Sometimes holding on until you’re pretty sure, is the best course to take in certain situations.

(The below is an Alabama Shakes song , she’s singing about holding on until something changes…not necessarily to hold on, then let go…but you get the point, right?)

• In the Letting Go Process you have to first Hold On to see if and when you need to let go….

• You’ll have to Wait and determine if you need to let go or exactly when you need to let go….

• You have to listen to  the Wisdom of the Ages or to family and friends who have “gone on” and are “up above” saying; “WAIT”…even when you don’t WANT to wait…even when you really want to let go…just wait…hold on…

  Letting Go is a Process

  Watch Nature – Watch the Leaves During This Fall Season If You Want To Learn How to Let Go

   Remember Letting Go Is Not Giving Up, It’s Dying to What Is to Let Come What Could Be

Letting Go Of Thinking That You Are The Only One Talking To Your Dead Friends

MY DEAD FRIENDS by Marie Howe

I have begun,
when I’m weary and can’t decide an answer to a bewildering question

to ask my dead friends for their opinion
and the answer is often immediate and clear.

Should I take the job? Move to the city? Should I try to conceive a child
in my middle age?

They stand in unison shaking their heads and smiling-whatever leads
to joy, they always answer, to more life and less worry.

I look into the vase where Billy’s ashes where it’s green in there, a green vase,

and I ask Billy if I should return the difficult phone call, and he says, yes.

Billy’s already gone through the frightening door, whatever he says I’ll do.

-Marie Howe

It’s okay to let go of thinking that you are the only one talking to your dead friends and asking them questions.  After all they have passed through the “frightening door” already…go ahead and ask them what to do!  

Just Quit Thinking You Walk This Journey Alone - Your Ancestors Walk With You

You are not walking this journey alone. Your ancestors walk with you.

The wisdom of the future is contained in the mind, hearts and souls of the past.

In order to go forward, sometimes you must go backwards.  Sometimes you must ask for help from your ancestors.   Their spirits are still alive.  They live in and through you.  Draw from their power. They are waiting for you to use the power that they have been building for decades, for centuries even.

YOU have the Know-How, YOU’VE developed great skills, YOU’VE Prepared Yourself

Now Do Something!

Have the courage to let go of that voice of fear that’s in your head.

Yes, there is a process to letting go.

A Change Is Gonna Come

Yes, you need to be determined in order to change.

Yes, you need to find encouragement somewhere and somehow for your efforts.

Yes, you need to release the past, so that the future that wants to emerge, can come forth.

Yes, it might have been a hard life so far.  There have been ups and downs, but don’t be afraid to die…die to who you are…die to what is holding you back.

Although it’s been a l-o-n-g time coming…A CHANGE IS GONNA COME…be alright with the void…let go…draw from your ancestors and move onward and upward…it’s time.

  Who are the Ancestors that You Need to Draw From?

What are Their Names? How Did They Inspire You?

What Do You Need To Do NOW?

How The Story of Life Ends.

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.”

~Havelock Ellis~

We all know how the story of life ends.

It ends in death.

One day your life will be over.

You as you know yourself will be gone. 

It’s something we all will experience,

but none of us have experienced it.

So you’re still alive, right now

Do you need to make a turning point? 

Did you need to Let Go of Something or Someone? 

Can you just keep on going down the road that you know is miserable and not bringing you joy?

Are you Afraid of Letting Go? 

The Choice is yours.

 Life is just Series of Choices.

Remember you already know how the story ends. 

It ends in death,

so LIVE a life that matters.

Live a life that makes a difference while you are still able. 

What is one thing that you need to Just Quit or Let Go Of?

Being Grateful No Matter What

Be Grateful even if things aren’t working out like you hoped.

Be Grateful first thing in the morning…even if you don’t want to face the day and all you think it will bring.

Be Grateful that…this too shall end.

Just live in a space of gratitude.  Why not?  Being Miserable….is a miserable way to live.

Be Grateful.

Leaning Into Letting Go...

Stop seeking joy, pleasure, happiness, peace,  and love — ONLY

That is not how life works.

Embrace pain, hurt, loss, sadness, anger, hate and death —

these TOO are a part of life.

Until you realize that,

you will always be fighting against yourself,

against being human,

against this earthly experience.

Sometimes you are going to get hurt.

It’s going to be painful.  

It’s not going to go the way you want it to.

Your heart is going to get broken.

Loved Ones are going to die.

You are going to feel lonely. 

Grow from it,

Learn from it.

Lean into it like a tree —

Trees don’t resist the weather —

they lean into it

& fully experience the wind, the rain, the storms, even the hurricanes

LEAN into you life.

Dance with it.

You’ll survive the painful times.

After Pain Comes Joy.

Life is a Journey.

Just Lean Right to Left, Front to Back &

STAND Strong Like a Tree

  Let Go to Let Come!  

~ Ridea Richardson

 

Forgiveness and Letting Go

When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.

– Thich Nhat Hanh

Forgiveness Brings Peace

Forgiveness Brings Clarity

Forgiveness Allows You to Move On

Forgive Even if They Don’t Say They’re Sorry (some people aren’t sorry for hurting you, some people don’t even know or care that they hurt you — just let that go –that’s more about them and their character than it is about you)

Forgive Even If You’re Still Hurting

Forgive Even If You’re Still Suffering

It “feels” like you are giving away something & getting nothing in return when you forgive,

BUT

What you discover is that by for -giv(e) – ing – you are giving YOURSELF the power to move on (it’s a paradox…you can’t move on as long as you and your mind are stuck NOT forgiving.  You just keep re-living the hurt and pain over and over and over again)

Go Past the Hurt

Go Past the Pain

Go Past the Past

********************

Step Into Joy

Step Into Love

Step Into Your Future

Allow your future to come forth without the burden of  holding on to the grudges of the past

Walk and Step A Little Lighter Today

Do it for yourself.   Do it for your health. Do it for your future.  

Who Do You Need to Forgive Today?  

Just forgive them (or yourself – if that’s who you need to forgive).

 Even if all you do today is say out loud to yourself; “I forgive so and so for doing this or that or not doing this or that”.  

That’s how you start and all you have to do is start the process and allow life to put everything else into place…and it will…just trust the process.

Listen to the music, look at the below images and words and just focus on forgiving…and the power of forgiving…