The Power of Letting Go: How to drop everything that's holding you back (The Power of Letting Go Series)

by John Purkiss

If you can observe something, it isn’t you. • You’re the observer, not the thought or feeling (such as discomfort, frustration or annoyance).

Stress is resisting what is. We observe what’s happening and judge it as wrong. Then we get frustrated, angry or depressed about it. The more upset we become, the harder it is to do anything to change the situation.

It can feel strange at first when you stop reacting to other people’s moods. It may even feel insensitive or selfish, but you can still love people and have compassion for them. Their anger and frustration make them suffer, both mentally and physically.

You don’t have to join in the drama

Instead of being upset, you’ll observe your mind being upset. Instead of being confused, you’ll observe your mind being confused.

Think about it for a moment. You were none of these things when you were born. You’ll let go of all of them when you die. So what happens in between? Who are you if you aren’t that pile of stuff you keep identifying with?

This is a radical change. You are. Everything else comes and goes.

Constantly connecting the present with the past prevents us from experiencing life as it unfolds.

The future isn’t a problem. It’s only your ego that worries about the future.

Please be aware that whatever you keep thinking about will start manifesting in your life sooner or later. (I’ll be exploring this from the next chapter onwards.) For this reason, it’s very important that you let go of any thoughts about what you don’t want to happen.

your stories aren’t real – they’re mental chatter.

If you judge you suffer.

Instead of clinging to these judgements, just watch them come and go. Make sure you don’t resist them – that only makes it harder to let go of them.

LET GO OF THE NEED TO BE RIGHT

If we cling to what we think we know, we may fail to see what’s happening now.

most of us suffer from confirmation bias: the tendency to look for information that confirms our beliefs, and ignore or fail to notice evidence that contradicts them,

If you think about people you know well, you may notice that some are continuously grateful for what’s happening in their lives, while others keep focusing on what they think is missing. Some people flow with life, while others fight it. What would you rather do?

You’re much more than anything you could ever possess.

It’s better to be whole than good

Relationships develop naturally when we no longer feel the need to fix ourselves and everyone around us.

Accept that you can be anything.

People who accept themselves as they are don’t feel the need to hide qualities which some people may not like. Not everyone is attracted to them, but plenty of people are. If you want a romantic relationship, you only need to attract one person.

If we keep surrendering, the ego becomes weaker and weaker. Life flows more and more smoothly.

You’re pure consciousness, which witnesses the body changing and thoughts coming and going. You witness pain and thoughts, but you aren’t your feelings or your thoughts. You can therefore let them come and go.

Eventually, some of us realize that it isn’t a wall – it’s a big step. If we want to keep moving forwards, we have to go up a level. And we realize we need to let go of something before we can do that.

Intuition is based on love, not fear.

It’s best to be empty and listen. Allow the other person to talk. When they’ve finished speaking, it may or may not occur to you to say something. Sometimes the best response is silence. Sometimes it’s best to ask a question, so you can understand what they’re saying in more detail. All you have to do is let go and be present.

The certainty we’re pursuing is a mirage – life is uncertain.