I’m so sorry to read about your dear friend. I lost a friend as well quite a few years ago now but finally came to a point where I had to start realising that we all have choices and I had to let go of all the emotions attached to the loss. It’s was hard though.

I think my main challenge with letting go is definitely about allowing myself to move on from something “bad” I’ve done in the past. I don’t always make the right choices and sometimes my choices have indirectly and sometimes directly hurt people I love. I know all I can do now is learn from my mistakes and do the best and be the best I can be for today going forward but just sometimes when I’m feeling down the past creeps back and likes to throw some punches.

Issues with surrender also surface in my yoga practice and since I started more advanced classes at a new studio, I can’t believe the breakthroughs I’ve been having. I truly dread going to class each time because I know it will be emotional for me but I’m so thankful once I’ve gone because I know I have to deal with all the things it’s forcing me to face. It’s been quite a cathartic start to the year.

I just realised my comment is all about “me” but you really got me thinking about what I’ve been going through lately. I think we all are constantly challenged with “letting go” on multiple levels.

It is what it is, we can’t change it. We can’t. No, we really can’t. That part of our life is over.

But the meaning we ascribe to the past *is* something we can change. And we can also change how we step forth each new day.

It’s not easy. Like you said – you had a moment where it was all very clear and then it wasn’t so clear. But you still understood more, even if you couldn’t live in that clear space all the time. Not yet anyway.

And we can have the most horrible things happen in our lives or those of people we love… and it can make a difference but it won’t change everything. Usually there’s “stuff” we had before whatever major event leveled our world and that same stuff is there once we’ve sufficiently regained our feet.

Letting go is something we have to learn to do on many levels. Some are far more challenging than others, because it can sometimes mean letting go of who we think we are. But it’s all good in the long run

Hmmm, surrender. Definitely something to meditate on further. It sounds wonderful. I think ‘vairagyam’ will make a good mantra for the next few weeks.

I had a powerful lesson in letting go last year, and my reaction surprised me. I was put in an ethical dilemma at work. There was no hesitation in my mind – I knew exactly what I had to do. When I’d done it, I felt that lightness you describe in your post. I didn’t care about consequences because I was square with my conscience and I felt like I’d let go of the outcome.

The outcome was ugly, and I was very nearly fired. To my surprise, I was absolutely calm during this time [not at all like me!]. I had done what needed to be done, and let it go.