"The root of all of our problems is our inability to let go."
-- Leo Babauta

The idea of "letting go" naturally implies that you've been holding onto something. It requires an object; there has to be something to let go of. We tend to latch on to certain expectations, ideals, or dreams, and our attachment to these things causes us innumerable problems.

What kinds of problems?
From; Stress, to Struggling with loss or death, Irritation or frustration with other people, relationships, Feeling emotionally taxed about things that have happened, are happening, or could happen, Anxiety, fear and many more.

Let's take fear for instance:
More than likely, there are a number of fears limiting you in your approach to life. And each of those fears, at its core, has to do with holding on to how we want things to be.
Whether it's a fear of failure, a fear of letting go of control, a fear of abandonment or of trusting others, a fear that you're not good enough, or a fear of not being accepted for who you are -- all of these fears have the same solution: letting go.

By holding on to how you want things to be, you're also intrinsically holding on to the fear that things won't turn out that way.

You need to let go of your expectations or ideals to release the fear of not having them come to fruition. Learn to accept and trust yourself, as well as the present moment (reality).
And then stop trying to have control over other people and over life in general. We sometimes fall victim to the illusion that we have control, but we really don't. Let go and accept that you can't control others or most of the world around you.
Everything is impermanent. Everything. And that's pretty scary. Thinking about it elicits fear in us (at least, it does in me). So when we're confronted with change, impermanence, and loss, we respond with resistance, and we attempt to gain or exert control over things.

Instead of resisting, we need to accept that change is the nature of life. We can't alter that, and there's no point in fighting it. Doing so will only cause us to suffer.
Letting go sounds so simple. However, it's anything but. These problems and patterns that I've reviewed can be deeply ingrained in us. And we tend to protect them and continually return to them, because in doing so we feel like we're protecting ourselves.

In order to let go, you need to dig down deep and realize that you don't need protection. You need to recognize and believe that you'll be okay - that everything will be okay.

If you're able to let go and start accepting things as they are instead of how you'd like them to be, you'll find that you'll suffer less from the problems of stress, emotional ties to the past or future, frustration with others, struggles with loss, and succumbing to fear.

By letting go, you'll set yourself free.

Are you ready to let go?

If you are ready, click the buy button above to get started.
See you on the other side.