Learn to let go

A couple of years ago, I used to almost get annoyed and worked up whenever my favourite team Arsenal would lose a game. My wife used to say “I pray you win today” because she knew my moods wouldn’t be palatable in case the results didn’t go my way. As time went by, I paused and thought to myself; “Wait a minute, I do not have control over the results, so why don’t I relax. If we win, good. If we don’t win, that’s ok. That way, I can still enjoy my life”. Since then, even when Arsenal loses, my wife is not able to know because I stay calm. Life continues. It’s called learning to let go.
Truth is, there are so many things that you and I cannot control. Therefore, to make your life easier, it’s better to accept things as they are. Of late, my wife has been referring to her favourite quote from Sonia Ricotti “Accept what is, let go of what was and have hope in what will be”. I like it. Of course, easier said than done but it’s helpful.
So, the formula is well laid. If something has happened, that’s what it is. Acknowledge it. Last week I was rushing to attend a session for Rotary Vijana Poa a programme whose focus is to create jobs for the youth. As a chair, you can imagine how important it was for me and still is. Just a few minutes away from home, my car broke down and I had to wait for mechanical support. Thankfully, I just accepted the situation and relaxed. I even took a little nap. Hallelujah. I could have banged the dash board, cursed, ranted but that would not have made a difference to the situation other than increasing acidity in my blood stream and developing a headache later in the day.
Let go of what was. It is in the past. Move on. Holding on may not help. Take the lesson not the pain. Take the wisdom not the baggage. How? You could ask yourself – “ok, this has happened, what do I learn from this?” After picking the lesson, say thank you and get moving.
The last portion of having hope in what will be pushes your mind to the future of what is possible. Look ahead, after all that is where you are going to be living from this moment onwards. Look to tomorrow with hope. When I was sitting in the car on the road, I held the hope in my heart for a solution.
I am aware that when things are tough or it’s a loved one in the context, it’s a challenge to let go. I have tested both worlds and yet at the end of the day, it’s better to let go than to just hold onto the situation. So, keep attempting to let go. Remind yourself that you are doing yourself a favour and keep the hope of your better future alive.