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Daily Question, September 5

What can I let go of?

  • Nancy Walton-House

    I can let go of comparisons, old & new wounds and rumination on disappointment when loved ones don’t meet my expectations. I can let go of possessions that don’t meet current needs, clutter and time wasters. Letting go opens me to accept and appreciate today’s abundant gifts.

  • KC

    So much to let go of! Top of mind is attachment to tired victim narratives and habits that have kept me caught in the past, rather than showing up as best I can to the present with an eye to the future.

    Lots of physical stuff in my and our space.

    Anger, judgement, resentment, shame from the past.

    Time to let it all go …

    ?

  • Debbie

    Today I shall ponder on this. So many ‘things’ pop into my head …..

  • Don Jones

    All of the accumulated stuff which I have identified with as part of me. None of it is who I really am.

  • Glenn Laundre

    Worry. I suffer from Alzheimer’s and find myself slowly losing hold. That is alright, I have a good spiritual life and supportive family and clinical team. I suffer little anxiety and feel the presence of God’s love. But I have started to not be able to give as much gratitude and love due to confusion and feel I will be stripped of my faith due to my inability to hold on. I worry I will be alone in my mind. Does that make sense?

    • Nancy Walton-House
      Glenn, thank you for sharing your journey. I know it gets harder to initiate prayer times when we're distracted or forget to do so. I fail often in following through with my intention to pray, meditate, do spiritual reading and have conversations with trusted others who share my spiritual path. One thing that comforts and inspires me is to read and reflect on this prayer. I hope it is helpful to you also. Best wishes for your journey. “When the signs of age begin to mark my body (and s...

      Glenn, thank you for sharing your journey. I know it gets harder to initiate prayer times when we’re distracted or forget to do so. I fail often in following through with my intention to pray, meditate, do spiritual reading and have conversations with trusted others who share my spiritual path. One thing that comforts and inspires me is to read and reflect on this prayer. I hope it is helpful to you also. Best wishes for your journey.

      “When the signs of age begin to mark my body (and still more when they touch my mind); when the ill that is to diminish me or carry me off strikes from without or is born within me; when the painful moment comes in which I suddenly awaken to the fact that I am ill or growing old; and above all at that last moment when I feel I am losing hold of myself and am absolutely passive within the hands of the great unknown forces that have formed me; in all those dark moments, O God, grant that I may understand that it is you (provided only my faith is strong enough) who are painfully parting the fibers of my being in order to penetrate to the very marrow of my substance and bear me away within yourself.” ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.

      Read More
    • Dusty Su

      Glenn this makes absolute sense. I pray that you never feel alone in your mind. I read a great article yesterday, maybe it will be of help to you. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/changing-the-tragedy-narrative-why-a-growing-camp-is-promoting-a-joyful-approach-to-alzheimers/2019/02/21/2c4ed4f0-2244-11e9-81fd-b7b05d5bed90_story.html
      I wish you well in your journey. With love and prayers, Dusty

  • Hot Sauce

    Honestly, I think maybe for this next week, at least, I can afford to let go of my need to be eating super healthy all the time. I often get hungry in the middle of the night, and I’m starting to lose unnecessary weight. Some chick’n nuggets or Impossible Burgers every now and then aren’t a terrible thing.

    • Mica

      Impossible burgers – those are sort of ‘good’ aren’t they? Enjoy your week!

      • Hot Sauce

        They’re vegan, but no, they’re really not that good for you. Over time, they will most certainly clog your arteries. But dang, they’re delicious!

        • Mica

          Yup, they are, and no cows are killed! Enjoy –

  • Javier Visionquest

    It’s mine to drain the deep well of anger that’s settled into the seemingly bottomless depression at the center of my own heart before I drown myself there and everyone I love.

  • Debra

    Judgment

  • eliza

    I have to battle to let go of the nagging thought that if I only had more money i could make a difference …..every donation, every act of kindness however small is precious – i need to celebrate that and not dishonour what i have and what i can do even if it isn’t much.

  • Linda

    I am an artist and craftperson and I am cleaning out and donating some of my many supplies. It feels good to make space, and also to know that someone will get great joy in receiving and using them.

  • Ed Schulte

    A timely question which happens to reflect my on-line study notes on “The Lord’s Prayer”!

    “We know that when we’re freed of personal suffering and egoism then we can become servants of the Divine. So we know that when we enter the Christ consciousness and we’re flooded with love then we have the impulse to serve love and to serve justice”

    Paul Skorpen ( student of Daskalos]

    • Ed Schulte

      Good Follow up, ‘Word of the Day’ – 2020-09-06

      We have a responsibility to hold to the power of love that we know to be true, and to not allow the world around us to deaden that in ourselves.
      LUCAS JOHNSON

  • Mark Featherstone

    my nervousness of public speaking, and playing guitar and singing in front of people… (I can let it go, I hold it in me, it’s mine to let go of)

    • Javier Visionquest

      Hey, Mark. I get this! I can play and sing to creation while I’m alone with it just fine. It doesn’t even mind the occasional off note ♪ An audience requires that I put out every bit the same amount of energy that I freely give otherwise but they also have a tendency to divide my attention until I remember that everyone is another face of god. Skill and persistence!

  • Arleen

    Fear, anxiety, worry, feeling unsure of myself, and my future, feeling unloved and unwanted. There are so many more things like these that don’t serve me. There are many things I have held onto that I need to get rid of, they are just cluttering up my home. Memories of my past mistakes, regrets of what I didn’t do or may have said. I need to let go of the fear of the future won’t be what I want it to be. I need to learn to live in the moment and trust in God plan for my life.

  • Patricia
    Clearing out a townhouse for an elderly father and recently deceased mother the past week, I committed to letting go of a lot of "stuff" of my own - as well as not taking on the care of many of theirs. So I left many of their beloved possessions behind for a small 'estate' sale rather than hauling them home. My mother loved these things, but I need to let them go to some other home now and not my own. And it will help me to put my own stuff in perspective and not devote my life to maintaining...

    Clearing out a townhouse for an elderly father and recently deceased mother the past week, I committed to letting go of a lot of “stuff” of my own – as well as not taking on the care of many of theirs. So I left many of their beloved possessions behind for a small ‘estate’ sale rather than hauling them home. My mother loved these things, but I need to let them go to some other home now and not my own. And it will help me to put my own stuff in perspective and not devote my life to maintaining the storage of them!

    Of course, there’s a whole other dimension of letting go of some emotional baggage too – but right now the physical baggage is what’s getting my attention. 🙂

    Read More
    • Arleen

      My sympathies on the loss of your mother. It isn’t an easy time. I lost my mom 1 year ago (in 11 days) Letting go of her things has been difficult.

  • Michele

    Sherri.

  • Zenith

    My desire to be close to my kids. My desire for someone to hang out with.

  • Howie Geib
    I have done a lot of things. For a while, long ago, I was an actor. It seems more and more like my life has been a series of acting gigs. For they were not precisely phases, but certainly distinct careers, with some similar characteristics, but no real thread (we are talking a period of 45 years) with each of these demanding I performed according to specific roles (complete with uniforms…costumes! ). I am in such a place, where I am transitioning from one to another. I was, this summer, in...

    I have done a lot of things. For a while, long ago, I was an actor. It seems more and more like my life has been a series of acting gigs. For they were not precisely phases, but certainly distinct careers, with some similar characteristics, but no real thread (we are talking a period of 45 years) with each of these demanding I performed according to specific roles (complete with uniforms…costumes! ).

    I am in such a place, where I am transitioning from one to another. I was, this summer, in the process of leaving the last one. And then, over the past three weeks I have been in a search for what’s next. I have found it, start in a week. So I am ready to let go, at last, of the last role. I played it for two years, invested my heart and soul in it. That is over now and, yes, done. I am pretty sure having something to move into has helped make it possible to truly leave the other.

    And my summer ‘vacation’ comes to an end. My boat (buoy boat) is picked up from the shore today to transport back home to Florida, I pack the car and drive home Wednesday…

    Read More
    • Michele

      Welcome back to Florida! I’m in the Tampa Bay area:) Safe travels:)

      • Cathy

        and I’m on the opposite coast from Michelle, Howie. Welcome home to FL!

    • Patricia

      Safe travels – and blessings during this time of transition, Howie.

  • devy

    The things that I have no control of. Focus only on what I do have control of or what I can have a direct influence or affect on.

  • sunnypatti
    Fear. Fear has been creeping up on me lately, so I've been seeking meditations particularly related to letting go of fear. My boyfriend and I are starting a business. It's a great plan and we're super excited, but I fear how long it will take to get it off the ground. I fear the process a little, too. But the process will be fun... and it has been fun! I suppose it's the unknown I fear, now that I think about it. I also fear something happening to my cat while we are not home. He's older, sta...

    Fear. Fear has been creeping up on me lately, so I’ve been seeking meditations particularly related to letting go of fear. My boyfriend and I are starting a business. It’s a great plan and we’re super excited, but I fear how long it will take to get it off the ground. I fear the process a little, too. But the process will be fun… and it has been fun! I suppose it’s the unknown I fear, now that I think about it.

    I also fear something happening to my cat while we are not home. He’s older, started having seizures two years ago, and while they were few and far between, they’ve been happening a good bit more lately. Our home alarm system went off yesterday while we were at work (all was well), and then again when I got home from work. It’s loud (as it should be), and I couldn’t find BC. I finally found him, but he was not himself. He wouldn’t eat, and when I finally got him out of the yoga/cat room, he went and hid in my closet. Anyhow, I’m worried that he’s fading out of this life, and while it’s the natural process, it still scares me. This cat has been thru a lot with me. We basically saved each other’s lives and found a whole new wonderful path together. I love him. But I need to trust the process more. And let go of this fear!!

    Read More
    • Dusty Su
      I hear you.... Recently, I taught a class to nurses in the Philippines on resilience during COVID. This saying from AA I believe it is, always helps me when I feel out of my depth and am powerless to do much. For situations beyond your scope, remember: "You didn’t CAUSE it You can’t always CURE it You can’t CONTROL it" To which I added, "But you CAN respond with MINDFUL COMPASSION!" So with each fear that hits, ask, "What is the next best thing I can do, what proactiv...

      I hear you….
      Recently, I taught a class to nurses in the Philippines on resilience during COVID. This saying from AA I believe it is, always helps me when I feel out of my depth and am powerless to do much.

      For situations beyond your scope, remember:

      “You didn’t CAUSE it
      You can’t always CURE it
      You can’t CONTROL it”
      To which I added,
      “But you CAN respond with MINDFUL COMPASSION!”

      So with each fear that hits, ask, “What is the next best thing I can do, what proactive step can I take? How can I respond to this fear rather than react to it?” This thought process helps me feel as if I got back in the driver seat, or at least can.

      Cheers dear heart xx

      Read More
  • Kevin

    What can I let go of? Plenty! There. That was easy!

    The word “can” lets me off the hook. I can do a lot of things, but will I? A better sentence, that boxes me in, would be: What will you let go of, and when will you make that happen?

    • Carol

      This old crone has come to believe that willingness is my only job. As Eckhart Tolle says, “Life is the dancer and we are the dance.” It can be scary to trust enough to be danced!

    • Patricia

      Good point about “can” and “will” — I think I’ll ponder both today and make a commitment to the “will”.

    • Judith

      Well said, Kevin!

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