"The purpose of life is to unlearn what has been learned, and to remember what has been forgotten." Sufi Saying
Falling off a Cliff
Today I got to thinking about the old story of the guy who fell off the cliff while viewing the Grand Canyon. After falling hundreds of feet, by chance, his hand catches a branch and he holds on for dear life.
When he finally gains the courage to open his eyes he sees he is on a sheer cliff 300 feet from the top and many more to the bottom--and his heart sinks. He's literally between a rock (cliff) and a hard place.
Never a particularly religious man, but in his moment of desperation he yells out:
"Oh God, oh God, please help me!"
At that moment the clouds part and a voice asks,
"Do you believe? Do you really believe?"
"Yes, Yes, I believe, I believe--just get me out of here!"
To which the voice replies,
"Then LET GO......"Free Falling: Moving From Control to Trust
If life has felt a little rocky lately and you're doing your best to get control of your life, relationships, children, or work perhaps the answer is to loosen up and let go, rather than tighten up and control more.
When we're free falling through a rough patch in our lives it's only natural to want to control the people, things and events around us as everything seemingly spirals out of control. We desperately want something solid to grasp to stop the apparent loss of control.
But too often, as we allow fear and anxiety to rule us, we tighten up and develop hardening of the attitudes and rigidity of thinking leading to clogging up of our heart and life. We become wound so tight we come to believe we are the only ones who can 'take charge and get it right' and end up alienating the people around us and isolating ourselves--sinking us deeper into the darkness.
Can you make the shift from controlling to trusting?
What is it we need to give up to move from living our lives through a controlling stance to a trusting stance? We need to give up the false-safety of fear. We need to let go of the firm, rigid walls fear provides and take a leap of faith in ourselves, others, life and the unknown.
When you choose a trusting approach to life, you gain a more fluid, easy attitude that creates a sense of flow and peace in your life.
Once you get past the fear of giving up fear and control you'll discover a world in which all things seemingly good or bad work in your favor....a world in which everything is working out. You are safe and life is good.
"The warrior who trusts his path doesn't need to prove the other is wrong." Paulo Coelho
Sign Up for Free E-mail updates
For more than 30 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes changing easier than ever before.
If you're interested in learning more about closing the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, join the Lightarted Living mailing list. Sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.