Letting Go ...

Most people have a tendency to try and control situations in their lives. Sometimes we experiment with trying to control people, pets, the weather, traffic, and line-ups. We all walk around with a moral code that we believe others should be aware of, and should adhere to accordingly. When people, pets, traffic, etc. do not behave in the way we want them to, it creates in us a feeling of uncertainty, rigidness and fear. And what can come out of this place, if we cannot keep such beliefs in check, are things that are not in the flow of a happy and balanced life.

It is not our fault that we slip into these patterns so easily, of course. The mind is an admirable opponent that is constantly coming up with new ways in which to create your reality. Your job is to work on harnessing this most amazing power of the mind in order to actually serve you in your life. Think about what kind of world we could live in if everybody everywhere were making an effort to use the power of the mind for good! It would be fabulous ...

But I might be getting ahead of myself AND my mind might be trying to control others again ...

No, we must begin with our own selves, of course, because all you can actually control in this life are your own actions. I am always working on my own formula for success, and I find that I must wake up each day and meditate. Sometimes it feels extremely challenging to sit still and to quiet the mind, but I am learning that a "scattered" meditation is actually productive too. It serves as a place where I can vent, emotionally and mentally. If I can just acknowledge my tensions, emotions and thoughts, it seems to diffuse them quite a bit.

There is no right way to meditate. There is only your way - the way that works for you, and this is where you can actually begin to harness this powerful mind of yours, because meditation does require a strong and stubborn will. It requires a drive from within to keep coming back to the breath, to remain focused on a mantra, to breathe into physical sensations. Sometimes you have to ignore that your back or hips are sore from sitting. And sometimes you have a breakthrough that allows you to actually surrender to the moment. Sometimes meditation is everything you thought it would be, and you may feel a deep and vast connection to something bigger than yourself. Sometimes you actually tap into a sense of peace and bliss.

Often we do not feel these beautiful experiences until much later, because the lessons take some time to be fully absorbed into our consciousness.

All of this is okay. Sitting for meditation each and every day gives a person the opportunity to see the patterns of thought that circulate in our minds. These habitual thoughts will shy away from the spotlight once they are caught, because once you recognize the trouble they are causing, it simply will not be worth it to hang onto them. You will have the ability to Let Go ....

And when you start with your own self and begin the art of letting go, the traffic, the weather, other people, pets and line-ups seem a whole lot less important and you can let go of that stuff too ...

Sincerely,
Nicole Aracki