Let Go and Let Live: How to Let your Life Unfold Effortlessly

03 April 2017

Last week I received such a profound passage, one that really got me reflecting on time, the future and how much we fixate on planning and controlling everything around us.

I often struggle with letting go – it’s something I know I need to do, but yet I find it so difficult to grasp this notion, when so much of my life requires copious amounts of planning. And yet, the truth is, at any given time, things can change and unforeseen obstacles may appear – life has a funny way of throwing curve balls when you least expect them, rendering futile even the most elaborate of plans – and so we have to learn how to navigate our way in and around all the crazy, that is life!

Our plans are simply our psychological security blanket that work towards navigating a very unstable, uncertain world. Of course planning has its place – our plans serve as the blueprint or mind map we use to achieve our goals, the key though is to know, and to accept that these plans are approximate – meaning they cannot be set in stone – they give us an idea of how to get to where we want to go, but we need to be able to adapt our plans as the external environment around us changes. Plans are more a suggestion of how, the actual how can never be known until it’s already happened.

It’s no secret that the future cannot be known. At the end of the day, no matter how much time we spend trying to predict, shape or direct it; there will always be changes in course, difficult times, unexpected challenges and unseen failures.

Ultimately, the best way through the unknown is to trust the process.

Live with a sense of wonder. Allow life to support you. Spend time outdoors: watch the sun rise, plant a rose bush or go for a walk. Get caught up in the laughter and movement of children in a playground. Remember that work will always be there, but you won’t – so embrace the time you do have on this earth.

Go with the flow. Let painful emotions pass through you. Learn to detach from people, places and things that no longer serve you. Don’t hold yourself back.

Be resilient. Believe in your own ability to respond to life. Think of everything you have survived in the past. Move in a new direction. Decide that you’re going to survive and thrive. Be gentle with yourself.

Embrace the unknown. You are exactly where you need to be. Remove the distractions from your life and really examine where you are and where you want to go. It’s a gift to be able to trust the unseen and intangible with a feeling of satisfaction and joy. Can you imagine if you already know how your life was going to turn out? – the journey would never be as sweet. In the unknown, we are able to experience everything we do deeply and fully.

Be flexible. Be willing to change your dreams, plans and life. Pain, hardship and heartbreak are inevitable. Don’t fight or push against them, rather embrace each of these things as parts of life that grow you as a person.

Live with uncertainty. Get comfortable with “not knowing.” We don’t know why things happen. We don’t know what anything is for. Let go of your fear of change. Believe the best is yet to come. Keep breathing, reflecting and step up your personal care.

Enjoy the sun. The dark doesn’t last forever. Allow yourself to enjoy life. How good can you let it get? How much joy can you stand? You’re worthy of it all. Increase your pleasure quotient. Claim your abundance. Look for the light and move towards it.

Expect beautiful lessons and priceless gifts. When you are able to release your fear, judgment and negative reactions you are left with the beauty of your own wholeness.

When you trust the process of life you connect with a sense of oneness, synchronicity, serendipity and unconditional love. You don't hesitate taking risks. Your path becomes clear and you are pulled into a true sense of safety.

Know that its ok not to “have it all together”. No one really does – its just an illusion we create because its become expected. Un-condition yourself out of expectation, and into openness - live freely - with passion, vivacity and zest.

Remember. Trust the process, because the process is life!