Time to Let GO
How many people does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: “Four. One to change the bulb and three to reminisce about how good the old light bulb was.” No matter how good the old bulb was and how long you had it, after it is burnt it is no longer useful to us and it is time to replace it and move on in life. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3, that there is an appointed time for everything… a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. By the way this is one of my favorite passages in the Bible because it talks about the seasons of life and how we should not only prepare ourselves for the coming changes but also the importance of enjoying the stage we are in today.
Everything that begins in this world needs to end; nothing in this world is permanent, there is a season for everything. Every creature that is born will eventually die; everything that is started will eventually shut down and cease to exist. Almost all beginnings are full of excitement, energy and enthusiasm, but as humans we find it hard to end things, we are not comfortable in letting go of things or people who have defined or in some capacity shaped our comfort zone or happy life. Art Buchwald once said “We seem to be going through a period of nostalgia, and everyone seems to think yesterday was better than today”. Though the familiarity of our past may make it seem more colorful and flowery than the unknown future, our hesitation to let go of our attachment to the past could seriously jeopardize our future.
Almost all beginnings are full of excitement, energy and enthusiasm, but as humans we find it hard to end things, we are not comfortable in letting go of things or people who have defined or in some capacity shaped our comfort zone or happy life.
Letting go is one of the hardest lessons in life, but if we carefully read the passage mentioned above it is obvious that holding on to things/people is not an option in this life’s journey. The Bible clearly says there is a time to uproot, meaning severe your ties, pull yourself out of a given situation or context so that God could plant you in a new situation. I sometimes think life is like crossing monkey bars, you have to let go of a bar you held for some time in order to be able to move forward. Someone once said: “you have to close one door to enter another, but it can be hell in the hallway!” Transitions are never easy, but life is full of transitions and our ability to let go of the familiar is just part of maturing in life.
I sometimes think life is like crossing monkey bars, you have to let go of a bar you held for some time in order to be able to move forward… Transitions are never easy, but life is full of transitions and our ability to let go of the familiar is just part of maturing in life.
Letting go of the familiar, leaving behind things, people who we associated with for years can cause sadness, anxiety and the feeling of loss, but since the nature of life is dynamic, as time passes people and situations change demanding us to change accordingly. An infant may feel safe holding his pacifier in his mouth but as time passes he needs to grow up and let go of the pacifier and move on to hold other things in life. By nature we are creatures who form attachments to things and people, and it is always very painful to let go of relationships in our lives, but as people and circumstances change it becomes necessary to let go of the relationship, friendship or attachment, so that each of us can fulfill our life’s calling without constantly hurting each other.
Recently I was at a pastor’s seminar where Dr Henry Cloud spoke about his upcoming book “Necessary Endings” which will be released in Jan 2011. Dr Henry Cloud observes that “While endings are a natural part of life, we often experience them with a sense of hesitation, sadness, resignation or regret. He argues that our personal and professional lives can only improve to the degree that we can see endings as a necessary and strategic step to something better. If we cannot see endings in a positive light and execute them well, he asserts, the “better” will never come either in business growth or our personal lives. Dr Cloud believes when executed well, “necessary endings” allow us to proactively correct the bad and the broken in our lives…however, when endings are avoided or handled poorly – as is too often the case – good opportunities could be lost and misery repeated.
“There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life” said an unknown author. I have to admit that I was one of those short-sighted people who failed to see the big picture of life and wasted months and years of precious time because I could not let go of some relationships. As Jan Glidewell said “You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present”, we may not be living in our past, but by failing to fully let go of our past relationships we sometimes make ourselves incapable of a healthy new relationship. Havelock Ellis said “All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on”. We need to let go of the past so that we can hold on to the future openings God brings into our lives as we enter the New Year.
When executed well, “necessary endings” allow us to proactively correct the bad and the broken in our lives…however, when endings are avoided or handled poorly – as is too often the case – good opportunities could be lost and misery repeated.
– – Author: Rev. Francis Burgula – –
