Written by: Anne Ward, 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.
What if I told you the best way to achieve success is to let go of wanting? The best way to attain health is to let go of worry, and the best way to achieve your dreams is to let go of wanting them.
I had a conversation with my father the other day about letting go of holding on. He is holding on to the wife he married, the woman he loved, and the lady he spent his entire life with. My mum has Alzheimer’s, I have let go of what was and now embrace what is. In doing this I have met my mother in a whole new light.
I have met a woman who is funny and stubborn, a woman who can go from smiles to frowns in moments of time. It is not the mother who raised me, the woman that kissed my boo-boos. This is a woman struggling to remember, a lady who is sometimes a stranger or should I say we are the stranger to her. If I continue holding on to what I wish was there I am losing out on experiencing the reality of what is happening. The new memories we are creating.
If we take a moment to look deep within ourselves, how many of us will also see the stranger we have yet to meet. The person who has pure joy and happiness. Once we let go of what we thought we need, who we imagined we are, and what we feel is important. Who do we have left?
I recently tried this out on my own as I was stressing and finding triggers to bitterness. I let go of the want, the desire, the need, and the thought. I embraced the “failures” and the struggles and looked at them in a new light. I saw them not as tests of time but as experiences and memories made. I let go of wanting that new client and within 24 hours I had the request for service. I thought at first what a coincidence. I then thought I would let go of something else to see how it feels to truly let go. So, I let go of the worry of deadlines coming up.
I took the demand and stress of getting it done away and before I knew it the job was done before the time needed and I had joy in doing the tasks. Every day for the last couple of weeks I have been in the practice of letting go. This doesn’t mean walking away from tasks or chores, or even people. It is letting go of the thoughts I had created about them. It is not mine to hold onto. Nothing in this life is. When we focus our attention on what we don’t have we create the desire to want. This tells the universe we need wanting not having. When we want success, the universe provides us with that want. Not the success but the continued want.
Think back to when we were kids and we lived life now. We enjoyed the experiences with brand new eyes every day. We played from sunrise to sunset our imaginations running wild. At times we wanted, but not for long as we were like butterflies always on to the next adventure. We stopped to change direction often and just went with the flow of life. We didn’t judge our failures, we got up and tried again. As children we were carefree, running wild in the wind. The rain was kisses from heaven and didn’t stop us in our tracks. Instead, we saw an opportunity of puddles to jump in. Often coming home muddy and wet not worried about the possible illness.
How would living this way as an adult change our direction? Would we see opportunity where before we saw doors closed? Could we feel that laughter from the belly right through to our souls?
I would like to invite you to make a list of three wants. Then thank the universe for having them and throw them away. Consciously stop thinking or wanting or even dreaming of this item. Let it go! You might be surprised at how quickly things change.
Let go of the need to be right.
Let go of the want to succeed.
Let go of holding on to what no longer exists.
Let go of your worry and stress.
Let go of the desire to be understood.
Let go of the want for others' approval.
Let it all go.
Live in each moment as if it were your first breath, take the joy, and experience living all over again. See-through the eyes of the inner child.
Anne Ward, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Anne Ward is dedicated to teaching individuals lifelong skills to better themselves. Anne has a proven record of helping her clients to live a more positive and balanced life through the use of specific tools that can be applied to any situation they may face. Anne’s goal is to help people be the best they can be with the resources and power they host within themselves. Anne will offer an intuitive ear and gentle guidance to clients as they work through areas of their life that they want to improve. Anne is a fantastic professional.
