What Will You Leave Behind?

One day being lazy and trying to multi-task, I had many packages to carry, so I moved the ones in my hands to under my arms and elbows, squeezing them to my body as I picked up a few more with my newly freed hands. I did this over and over, until some of the packages dropped. I used some bad language, blamed the packages and continued picking up the ones I had dropped and moving the ones in my hands to the position close to my body. Finally, I succeeded to pick everything up and move them to a table in my kitchen, body: distorted and tense, mood: somewhat angry. This could have easily ended up differently, I could have dropped something so many times, that I would give up and make two trips to the table like any sane person would have. This is the image that comes to me as I try to write about what I want for the New Year. I can be like the version of me with the packages, with lots of goals and ambitions, holding on to some real tight and dropping others in the process. Are New Year’s resolutions or goals like that for you? Do you find yourself cramming new goals and finding yourself sometime in April thinking you dropped the ball on something else?

Sometimes, we need to let go of something to make room for something better or more relevant to our current situation. What is something that you are willing to let go of? It could be an old goal, an old belief, an old way of being, an outdated relationship,… We can’t change if we aren’t willing to let go of what doesn’t work anymore. That is a simple statement, but a difficult one to practice. We tend to hang on to what doesn’t work for many reasons: comfort, we don’t know any better, it is easy, fear of what will come next, what will happen to my loved ones, no one to blame, etc. Hanging on just delays our evolution and robs us of experiencing a new life.

In the spirit of transparency and sharing, I will share with you what I am letting go of this year. I am letting go of all suffering. I know this sounds sick, but I love to suffer. If it isn’t about me, I’ll make it be about me. It could be a political conflict thousands of miles, away, I’ll suffer with all the people in the area and make it be about me. I’ll suffer for my children and any unjust act or word against them. I can go on and on, I won’t. I choose to let go of suffering, the big package I have held on to most of my life. I do this letting go, without anger or hostility. I let go gracefully and lovingly. I walk away from all suffering peacefully and joyfully without looking back. Now, I invite you to leave something behind as you enter 2009 so you can experience a new version of yourself…