Let Go

There are times when we seem to be perpetually stuck in an unpleasant situation against our wish. It may a stagnant business, or a dead investment, a project that has fallen off-track, a relationship that has gone sour, a job that is not taking us anywhere, and so on. The situation may appear to be completely out of our control; what steps can we take to come out of such conditions? Before I answer this question, consider the following anecdote:

Monkey-hunters use a box with an opening at the top, big enough for the monkey to slide its hand in. Inside the box are nuts. The monkey grabs the nuts and now its hand becomes a fist. The monkey tries to get its hand out but the opening is big enough for the hand to slide in, but too small for the fist to come out. Now the monkey has a choice, either to let go off the nuts and be free forever or hang on to the nuts and get caught. Guess what it picks every time? You guessed it. He hangs on to the nuts and gets caught.

There is an important lesson hidden in this story. Whenever you are in a never ending unhappy situation, think carefully and ask yourself, “Am I hanging onto some nuts here that keep me from going forward in life? Why can’t I break free from this?” You may find yourself rationalizing by saying, "I cannot do this because . . ."; and whatever comes after "because" are the nuts that you are hanging on to which are holding you back.

Once you understand the idea and recognize the nuts you are holding on to, just let go of them. Put a stop loss and get rid of the investments that are not working out. Let go of the business that seems to have no future. Accept the fact that it did not work out in a sour relationship, and let go. Know when to decide to put an end to a failed project, even if it is a highly cherished one. Look at your beliefs and perceptions that are not helping you navigate through life smoothly, and get rid of them. This does not mean that we just quit everything quickly and do not try harder to make it work. Perseverance is good and necessary to achieve anything worthwhile in life. However, after making all possible efforts, if you still find no rays of hope in the situation, then it is worthwhile to consider if it is time to let it go.

So, it is well within your circle of influence to come out of these unhappy situations if you so desire. Just learn to let go when appropriate. Get rid of your bulky baggage that is holding you back. And you will be free to fly again to newer heights.