You know, you can’t really move forward unless you let go of what’s been. And, I mean really release + try new things. I have always believed that new years are new starts, but I’m not sure if I’ve really done anything but think about it. I’ve felt the start of a new year as a symbolic, inspirational push; but I’ve never let it bring about concrete, practical changes in my life. What I am discovering this year, though, is that a new year isn’t just an idea. It literally is a chance to let go + begin again. But it’s up to us to decide what to change + how to change. If we actually are willing to change anything.
So, January is almost over now and I realize that it is really, truly, literally time to let go of our old way of life and embrace a totally new one. Somehow, I think I’ve thought that a new year meant changing the year, but not changing my life.
I don’t know about you, but I think I have often felt that in January we just pick up where we left off before the holidays. Of course it’s a new year + all that jazz. We have magical feelings of a fresh start, a clean slate. But, nothing magical actually happens. And, really, life just goes on. Right?
Soon, even though we often have an attitude of hope, as we begin to settle into January and everyday life resumes after the holidays, we realize that life has actually just continued. And, so we just continue on with life. Yes, with new goals + intentions maybe. With new dreams + ideas. But, also, we head back to work, or get back into our routine, and just keep on fighting the good fight. Same same. But different. New dates to write. But, old actions + old ways of living.
It’s like trying to squish a round peg into a square hole.
If I sound depressing or negative, I am sorry, but I am only realizing right now that I have been trying to just pick up where I left off before the holidays. And, for some reason, (for some beautiful, amazing reason) this year it’s not working.
That feels kind of exciting. But, also kind of unnerving. Because I have no idea how to live if I don’t just hop back into what’s comfortable + routine.
You see, by the end of 2017, I had found a very, very, very deeply peaceful + calm + grounded place from which to live. My entire autumn was just, well, magical. I lived very slowly, intentionally, and from my soul… in ways I’d never experienced before. Finally, I had created that deeply, mystical, contemplative life that I knew my soul had craved all along.
So, I just assumed, that life would simply resume back to that blissful feeling after a little pause during the holidays. That I’d still be in that amazing soul place. And, while I am still in a good soul place, January is not at all turning out to be just picking up where I left off. There is a whole new energy in my life. I’m feeling connected + off-balance all at the same time. Things are changing all around me. And I just ain’t feelin all of my old routines + habits.
What I am trying to say is, that I now understand that this is some kind of transition month. Kind of a portal or gateway into the rest of the year. A time not so much of imbalance, but of pause. And, most importantly, a time to let go of the old + open up to the new. 2018 is no continuation of things as they were. It is a gateway to something unknown. Something that will lift me, and you, to new heights and root us deeper than we’ve ever been. Should we be willing + ready to go with the 2018 flow.
But, before we embark on all of that new stuff. We really do have to let go. And, like I said before, I am just now realizing that I have been holding on to stuff for the past few weeks. Simple stuff like my morning routine. And ideas or beliefs that keep me stuck. Or habits that have grounded me in the past, even just a few weeks ago, that just don’t seem to be doing it anymore.
I suppose that this is all very natural actually. Seasons change. Energies change. And, if we want to change + grow, then we will simply change with them. It all makes sense really.
So, lovelies, it’s time to let go. What worked just a month ago, isn’t gonna work now. Not only has the date changed, but something inside has shifted. And either we jump on board + go with the flow, or we fight against the tide, tire ourselves out, and give up… frustrated, scared, and stuck. But, if we choose to flow; if we choose to recognize + embrace the transition; if we choose to calmly accept change + stay rooted in who we already know we are, then life will effortlessly unfold and we will be aligned with the magic of the unfolding.
We’ve got a week before I share with you a whole new 6 week newlsetter retreat. Something that will transition us from a season of waiting to a season of wakefulness, from a season of reflection to a season of creation.
And to be ready for all of that action + inspiration, to be prepared to receive all of the new life waiting for us, then we literally have to let go of the old.
So, I’ve made a list of a few things that we can think about releasing from our life, in preparation for the next turning of the sacred wheel of life. These are things that I don’t need anymore. That I can lay down. That are hindering me from moving forward. And that perhaps you, too, can relate to in some way. As you read what I am leaving behind, ponder for yourself the things that you can let go of.
Let go of apologies: It’s time to stop making excuses or feeling bad for being who I am. If you don’t like it too bad. For me, that means not even apologizing to myself. No need to explain away why I like this + don’t like that, why I am like this or not like that. My hope is always to be a compassionate, caring, woke person. But, how I live that out is for me to decide. I am a slow living, spiritual, optimistic person. Period. And I’m not going to change who I am based on who I am with. The end.
Let go of wasting time: Life is freaking short. There is absolutely no need for me to waste any time on doing or being anything that does not fit with my dreams, intentions, goals, and personalities. Today is all I have + so it’s up to me and only me how I want to create the next 24 hours.
Let go of old routines: My morning routines have been my sacred time; but I wonder… is it time to change them up? This is something that I am deeply considering + staying open to. It feels a bit crazy, but there’s no need to get stuck. I believe that my soul is telling me to get creative, to even replace them with a new nightly routine.
Let go of fear: Enough of not believing that I can succeed. I have dreams and visions of how I want my life to be. But, I have no specifics. And, as soon as I begin to think about them, I list all of my weaknesses to myself as to why it would be so hard to make it real. Or I just accept that it will happen when it will happen. But, that’s a lie. I’ve got to work my ass off to make changes. It ain’t gonna just happen. Basically, I am afraid to succeed. Time to let that shit go.
Let go of… my blog? That freaks me out to write. And I don’t think that I mean that I will stop blogging. But, it has occurred to me that I may need to explore what I write, why I write, and how I write. I don’t know how many of you are reading. Or why you read. And, for a little while, I have not been receiving much feedback. So perhaps I should focus my writing in some other way, on some other space. Or even create a new blog. Be Love Live may be close to retiring. Or not. I have no idea. But, I am open to pondering it all.
These are pretty big things for me to let go of, to be honest. They are challenging + scary, but I believe that they are life-altering. And releasing them will open me up to so much more. They are beliefs that I already hold, but it’s time practice a little of what I preach. To make these ideas concrete.
The next step, though, isn’t to just let them go, but it is to actively set intentions that will support the release of these things in my life. But, that’s for another day + another blog post, I think.
Do you have anything that you want to release? What are the things that are holding you back? Let me know… we can support each other through it all.
xoxo. liz.
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