It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else,
that prevents us from living freely and nobly.
~ Bertrand Russell
How hard it is for us to let go of the things we treasure. But how many of these things truly have value, and how many are simply objects we have accumulated?
If you were on the Titanic and had a life preserver in one hand and a bag of gold in the other, would you sink rather than let go of the gold? If your child didn’t have a life preserver, would you hold the gold or drop it and reach for your loved one? If only one of you could float with the preserver, what would you choose to let go of?
Sometimes it is the things we hang on to that pull us under and destroy our lives. We need to let go of the backpacks we carry that are full of garbage. When we let go of what is dragging us down, we are free of our burdens and can be lifted into the lifeboat. Why must we face the threat of being pulled under before we awaken to what keeps us afloat and what is significant in life?
There is more to surviving than indiscriminately hanging on. So define what you truly want to hold onto, and what gives your life meaning, and let go of the rest.
Let go of what is pulling you under or draining your energy so that you can keep your head above water.
