Letting Go of Life
The life we lead is finite and always subject to change. We either acknowledge this inevitability and adapt to it, or we forever engage in a pointless struggle to change things and make them fit our expectations. Nature does not wait for us, for it inflicts itself upon us at random intervals — either we are ready for change, or we are overwhelmed by it.
In holding on to life, we become dependent upon it. We may like someone and resent someone else, not realizing that our identity is molded by clinging to those feelings. Think of conditional statements like “if this goes well, I am happy, but if it does not, I am surely depressed”, or “when I will have X amount of wealth, fame, and/or respect, I will finally be happy”. These are surely representative of a pathological clinging to a future conception of happiness, and deprive the self of any possibility at self-realizing NOW. There is unfortunately no other time for this.
By letting go of all hypothetical notions, all we are left with is the real world. And truly, the real world is harsh and filled with pain. It is not a beautiful world much of the time, because we are constantly forced to make difficult decisions, and given a great degree of stress. I don’t think this is much of a life at all — that is to say, we should not be living in perpetual helplessness to the moment. But because of practical obligations, one might feel that they are just a ragdoll, swung back and forth in the higher cosmic order, and that induces anxiety.
Life does not wait for us. Sadly, we must not wait for it either. The constant tension between enjoying life and sacrificing ourselves to it is difficult. For it seems that our suffering is given to us, imposed upon us, and all we can do is adapt to it. We must be stronger with every moment, especially because most of our basic obligations are not going to change. Letting go simply means to accept that we lack control over many things, and can only improve upon the things which we do have direct control over.
This is not an appealing way to look at the matter of ‘letting go’. I am not able to see life a different way, unfortunately, and maybe my perception will change as my personal situation changes. I’ve always been struggling with letting go because, truly, life keeps bringing me back. I am led to believe that the more comfortable a life, the easier it is to let go.
The appeal of having to let go when life is hard is that you learn so much about your own strength of character and your ability to deal with change.
Thank you.
