Letting Go

Life gives us opportunity after opportunity to practice Letting Go, doesn’t it?

We let go as our lives change from one season to the next. As parents, we may want to cling to something about one phase or another as our children grow up. Infants are so tiny and precious! Oh he’s so cute learning to walk… losing his first tooth!, etc. …. but then, as we let go, something even better generally comes along. Not having to carry the newborn all day, no need to pack a diaper bag, no hearing Why? Why? Why? with the toddler. We let go of one stage and then get to enjoy the next (mostly).

Two of our six kids, Jop and Nathan, are in college at the moment and Anne will be heading off in a few short months. And Jop and Simi live so far from us, that every time we have to part with them, we know it will be for many months at a time. The letting go of children as they make their way into the world is complex and can be filled with moments of grief and fear. But the more we choose to lean into faith … the smoother the process we have discovered.

That really goes for everything, the more we are confident that we are doing our best, and then have faith and believe that everything is as it’s meant to be, the easier life is. The less struggle we face, and the fewer problems we create for ourselves.

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Two people facing the same situation can have very different experiences. I remember asking Hans ten years ago how he manages, for hours at a time, stuck in tiny airplane seats, smushed into seats too small for his six foot three inch body? He said the hard part is when the person in front of him tilts his seat all the way back, pressing even further into his knees. I just surrender and go to sleep he would say. And I could not relate at all, and I’d think Yeah, well …. I’m not a surrender-er. (Of course I’m also a foot shorter and almost never travel anymore, so I don’t have that particular problem.)

But over the years I’ve shifted. I surrender now. (Mostly. Errr … sometimes.) I let go. Because I’ve faced enough hardships to see that resistance to what is only makes the hardship that much harder.

Try our best. Then lean into faith. ASK for what we want and need. Then trust that God and the universe have the details handled. That is the goal.

Through growth and death, through aging and changes in life circumstances, we face letting go of people in our lives. We may also be working on letting go of feelings and attitudes that don’t serve us or those around us. Fears, worries, judgements, desire for control… though unseen, these can keep us tied up in knots until we master letting go of them.

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We also let go of things which matter to us. Maybe we are doing some spring cleaning, or purging some old belongings, and we have to ask ourselves if these things will add value to our lives, or if it’s time to let them go. This can be painful sometimes, but it also allows life to flow. Ushering out the old or unneeded gives more room to breath, and enjoy, and creates space for new things to flow in.

What are you letting go of right now?

If you would like to come out to the farm for some coaching, or enjoy coaching from your own home online, please text me, I would love to partner with you in letting go. – Katherine 770-335-0025

Teachers

We have many teachers in our lives, whether we are old or young, in a classroom or somewhere else in this great big world.

One definition of a teacher is A person who helps students acquire knowledge, competence or virtue.

I have had the privilege of having many amazing teachers in the traditional sense and in every other way it seems; in schools as a child, at university, and beyond. And my children have been blessed with Teachers that are so amazing it sometimes takes my breath away.

Just last week I attended a virtual award ceremony for our daughter Anne who had been awarded the Student of the Month award by her Calculus and Statistics teacher. I was present as he went on and on, talking about not only her math skills, but many other wonderful virtues as well; her commitment and dedication, her willingness to answer questions, really showing up, and her ability to teach her peers in a way that wasn’t in the least bit condescending. It took a lot for him to be present enough, all of these months, observing Anne and his other students, to see all that they have to offer. And it shows how special he is that he took the time to recall those things and celebrate them with the group. His kindness and ability to serve as a Teacher brought me to tears. So wonderful and inspiring!

In her book A Return to Love; Reflections on the Principles of A COURSE IN MIRACLES, Marianne Williamson says: Relationships are the Holy Spirit’s laboratories in which He brings together people who have the maximal opportunity for mutual growth. She says that all relationships are meant to be teachers for us, whether they are brief meetings, longer term relationships, or people who are in our lives forever. She says: the Holy Spirit asks that the relationship be used by God to serve His purposes. And His purpose is always that we might learn how to love others more purely. We love purely when we release other people to be who they are.

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We all try to be the best version of ourselves that we can on this journey, and I think Ms. Williamson’s words are wonderful sign posts to just that. It can be hard to offer acceptance and forgiveness to others, only seeing the love in them, their purest selves. But challenging ourselves to keep trying, to keep growing in this practice, will offer us more and more peace in our own lives.

Do you ever just want to skip one of these classes? Like when someone is rude to you in public, or short tempered in your family, or when you have a disagreement with a friend? Don’t you want to say, Ummm, I’ll be back when this gets easier and only nice people are showing up.

But by learning from the relationships in our lives, whether they are people that we like or not, we can grow in ways that make life easier for us in the long run. We can learn that we are safe deep down, and no one can disturb that, and we can build skills in giving love, in showing acceptance, and practice seeing the inner beauty in others.

The rewards go far beyond the immediate and change the trajectory of our lives. In fact, offering that beautiful energy to the world … is like throwing a pebble into a pond. The ripples go on forever.

What teachers are present in your life today?

If you are in need of some coaching, and would like to co-create some amazing learning in your life at the moment, please feel free to text Katherine and set up an appointment.

770-335-0025