Walking on the boardwalk the other morning, I saw a little something up ahead. I was curious because it had an odd shape. When I looked down, it was this small snail, making its way across the boards, at a ‘snail’s pace’. I immediately bent down to pick it up so that no one who wasn’t looking would step on it.
But then I stopped myself. Should I move it? If I did, where would I move it to? Could it work its way along on the sand? Maybe I should just let it go and not intervene? I had the dialogue going back and forth in my head. After a few minutes I decided to just let it go and let nature take its course. It was supposed to be where it was.
That led me to thinking about how to let go of things in our lives that maybe we don’t need to control or get involved with. When we are faced with personal difficulties, or being smothered with terrible news on the tv or internet, it is time to take a pause. We can get so worked up about what we think ‘should’ happen, get twisted up in anger or concern, or disbelief about how bad people can be. Our energy then becomes so depleted that we are unable to put our focus on what we can influence or change.
Taking a pause is critical – the two questions I ask are: “How important is it?” and “Is this under my control?” If it is not that important and/or not in our control, there is a powerful learning and it results in letting it go. That result is a freedom of choice and a feeling of curiosity to choose something more.
(And the ending of the snail story? I went back that afternoon and didn’t see any squished shell so I think that snail went on its merry way to where it was supposed to be.)
For more ideas on letting go of what doesn’t serve us, please go to my website where you can download a chapter of my new book – How to Soar with A Broken Wing. Finding Tiny Moments of Joy Everyday. You can use the code Spring Joy for a 20%disccount and free shipping. Thank you!
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