On Letting Go

At a conference recently, I bought a book by one of the workshop leaders whose session I'd attended. By an astonishing fluke of synchronicity, it turned out that the author has led workshops (as have I!)on a topic that's interested me for some time - the myth of the ancient Sumerian goddess Innana.

In the myth, Innana takes a journey to the Underworld to attend the funeral rites of her sister's husband. Her sister rules over that dark realm, into which Innana descends, passing through seven gates as she does so. At each of the gates she must leave behind objects that symbolise letting go of certain aspects of herself and her identity, such as her power and sovereignty. Ultimately she goes through a process of dying, in order to be reborn and re-enter the world in the fullness of her divinity.

The Buddhist tradition from which Mindfulness comes talks a lot about the constant process of change and the need for non-attachment, acceptance of what is, and letting go. This got me thinking about the things that I need to accept and let go, such as:

Accepting that I'm unlikely to resume a career that I left behind 30-odd years ago, no matter how appealing it might seem now

Accepting that, like everyone else, I make mistakes, and letting go of the need to beat myself up when I get it wrong (Whatever "it" may be!)

Accepting that I'll never be able to please everyone, and letting go of the need to do so

Accepting that I need to take responsibility for my own life, and letting go of the belief that there's a deus ex machina out there who will come and rescue me when things get tough

It can be hard sometimes to stare these realities in the face, but we need to do so if we want to grow, without being trapped by our past and by the stories that we tell ourselves about how our lives are, and how they should be.

What do you need to accept and let go of?

Best wishes,
Chris


Next Mindful Living course in Bristol starts 7th September