This is a guest post by Prudence Sinclair.
Are the leaves starting to fall where you are? It’s such a beautiful time of year and one, I think, that reminds us all to let go of that which no longer serves us. But so many of us try to desperately hold onto all of our dead, withered leaves.
What are some of the things that may no longer be serving you that you could begin to let go of? Perhaps bad habits, fears, toxic relationships, old goals, beliefs and expectations?
How might your life change if you released these dead, withered leaves from your branches? You might feel bare for a little while, but in no time, tiny little buds would form in your life.
New relationships that support you and make you feel good.
New habits that resulted in better health and vitality.
New goals that brought you closer to your life’s purpose.
It can be hard to let go of things, even when those things are doing more harm than good. But when we do, we invite better things into our lives.
Here are some ways I have found help me to release that which is no longer serving me:
Meditate
Before you can begin to release that which no longer serves you, you must have clarity of heart, mind and sight. This clarity can be elusive when we are knee-deep in the “muck” of the world. For this exercise, you’ll need TRUTH on your side, and for THAT, you’ll need to align with your HIGHEST self.
If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that I cannot recommend meditation enough to people. It is a BIG part of what helped me beat cancer over 30 years ago. Meditation is powerful, and when you commit to being still and aware ONLY of the moment you are in, awesome things happen! Clarity being one of them!
Set Your Intentions
Releasing that which no longer serves you is NOT about being negative, but rather about being positive. Your goal is not to stew and complain and think of all of the people that are hurting you. It’s not about being a victim or being angry.
It’s important to set your intentions at the very beginning of this exercise. What is it that you REALLY want? You want to release the old so that you can make space for new. Don’t get lost in the process and mired in all of the negative garbage. Just locate it so that you can release it.
Be Completely Honest
It’s easy to pretend with others, but not so easy pretending with ourselves. It’s time to take an honest look at your life to determine what is and isn’t working. Look deep and at first, just sit with the truth of what you find. If there is anything that is no longer serving you, thank it for being there for however long it was, forgive yourself and others for any hurt that happened, and think of the steps you need to take to let whatever it is go.
Go Ahead and Grieve
It’s perfectly okay and very healthy to grieve what you are letting go of. Goodbyes are never easy, even when you are saying goodbye to something that no longer serves you.
That relationship you thought would last forever. Those old goals or beliefs. The job you once loved. You have invested your time, energy and heart, and you should allow yourself the space to be sad, reflect, and heal.
Begin Saying NO More Often
As you move forward in life, have a goal of needing to release less and less. For instance, we should all hope to get to the point where all of the people in our lives are loving, kind and supportive. We should all do work that has meaning and significance. And we should all have habits and beliefs that serve our health and mind.
In order to need to release less, we need to start making smarter choices about who or what we let into our lives. And THAT means we’ve got to start saying NO more.
I know it may be uncomfortable in the beginning to say NO, especially if you have a history of being a people pleaser. But the more you say it, the easier it gets!
When someone negative enters your life and tries to settle in, say NO.
When a bad habit begins softly whispering in your ear, say NO.
When a new limiting belief even ATTEMPTS to take hold, say NO.
As the trees continue to shed their leaves, I encourage you to take this time to reflect and let go of everything that no longer serves your health, well-being and higher purpose.