Written by: Susanne Venaas, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Often people will find themselves in situations where they will hold on things, people, dreams or beliefs for far longer than they serve us. Often we stay and hang on to these things because we have developed an attachment to it. We can use the analogy of a toddler who is still walking around with the soother in his mouth and doesn’t want to verbalize his needs. He needed the pacifier as a tool for self-soothing at one point, but as he grows, the need for self-soothing is surpassed by his need for verbal communication. He must give up the pacifier, in order to have the literal space for clearer communication.
We, as adults, are just like this toddler. We have beliefs, or relationships, jobs or things that served a purpose for a period of time, but as we grow we often outgrow what once served us. The problem is that we develop an attachment to the person, belief, thing, etc and we are taught that it is admirable to ‘stick things out’ Sometimes, this is in fact true, but there are times when hanging on does not serve us, it weighs us down.
We must examine whether something or someone is still of benefit to us. This may look like asking ourselves;
Is loving this person, thing, or idea serving me to my highest good and contributing to making me happy?
Could letting go of this person, thing, or idea lead me to living a brighter, healthier, and happier life?
It’s then up to us to sit in honesty and curiosity with what surfaces. If the answer is that it would lead to a brighter, healthier, and happier life, then it is up to us to start the process of unraveling and letting go.
What we cannot deny in this process is the grief in letting go of what was, in order to allow the space for what is to come. Regardless of the good that can come when we create SPACE by letting go, it is important to have the grace to honor what once was.
Susanne Venaas, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Susanne Venaas is an International Spiritual Coach based out of St. Albert, Alberta Canada. Susanne works both in-person and virtually connecting with her clients in their transformation and growth. She also supports learning via her online school, and her Rebel Soul Podcast to help them connect to their most authentic selves. Wellness to her is an integrative approach to body mind and spirit. Susanne has been featured in Yahoo News + Finance as one of the top 10 Spiritual Coaches to watch in 2021, as well as featured in CEO Medium as an expert in her field, and her Rebel Soul Podcast made Top 10 Spiritual Podcasts in Canada after it's first 6 weeks of going live in May 2021. Her passion is working with others to cultivate a deeply meaningful and connected life.