In autumn the trees shed their leaves. When I picture this act of shedding, the trees must let go to allow space for the new growth that arrives in spring. We can use this analogy in our own lives. What are you holding onto that no longer serves you? If we let go of the things that don’t serve us, we make room and are able to attract what we really need.
“Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent to throw it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” Buddha
Holding onto things that are familiar to us is a completely normal human behaviour. We form attachments to things, people, places, thoughts and emotions and our bodies can become overburdened with things that truthfully do not matter. If we use health and fitness as an example. When you start a new regime, you eliminate unhealthy, toxic foods and replace them with good wholesome food that serves your body with the nutrients it needs. You also start to exercise, and you begin to notice how much better you feel. So the same can happen in other areas of our lives.
It is sometimes useful to do a little audit of our lives. Look at areas such as habits, hobbies, duties, obligations, goals, possessions, relationships and roles. When something no longer serves us, it means it no longer helps us move forward in the direction we (currently) want to go.
Our lives are like little gardens. We sow seeds, nurture the plants and reap the harvest. A part (not a fun part) of gardening is weeding. A weed is any plant growing where it isn’t meant to, or a plant that produces something you don’t want. While that crop may be useful to other people, if it doesn’t serve you, it is taking up space in your garden and taking energy away from you. Think about what you are planting and what you are growing. Decide what you do and don’t need.
At times, our minds can make us believe we need these belongings, situations and relationships and so out of fear, we hold onto them. But sometimes we need to have faith that things come and go from our lives, but the lesson is to trust when to let some things go.
