Soul Food-The Immense Freedom of Letting Go
Thirty-two years ago, I was going through a divorce. I had (or so I thought) let go of everything but couldn’t understand why things were not moving forward; the process took two grueling, painful years.
One day in speaking to my mentor, she said to me, “you haven’t let go of everything.” I said in disbelief; I let go of:
- child support (back then, it wasn’t a law that you had to accept it)
- the house
- I allowed my oldest daughter to choose who she wanted to stay with (back then; they let the “child” choose, (again, that was changed a couple of months after my divorce)
- all my rights to my husband’s railroad pensions, assets, etc.
- everything we had bought together (I left with the clothes on my back)
She said, “you haven’t let go of the baby.” I said, “Oh no, I can’t let go of my baby; she’s all I’ve got left!” My mentor then explained that surrendering my baby to God, the Universe (call it what you want) was taking the CONTROL out of my hands and opening up an avenue for the “highest good of all parties concerned.” (which could mean my husband, mother or sisters, a third-party, etc.)
I understood what she meant because I’d been studying metaphysics since the early 70s’ and was deeply involved in the works of Louise Hay, “You Can Heal Your Life” at the time.
I lay in my bed that night; the silence in the room was deafening as I spoke to God. “God, I don’t know what’s best in this situation (the divorce), but I surrender the outcome of my precious baby girl to you,” with sobs and tears streaming down my cheeks. As I lay there and listened to the words come out of my mouth, I could feel the weight and release leave my Soul. It was the hardest decision of my life, but I knew it was the right one. I felt a sense of peace come over me.
What happened that night came from the depths of my Soul. It was something you can’t fake or force. It has to come from a place that has no ego. It’s the true essence of Spirit. As the story unfolded, the courts ruled that I keep the baby (as the residential parent) with a shared parenting agreement. I was the “happiest girl in the whole USA.”
I share this story because I’ve used this theory of letting-go several times since in my life (probably none as significant or life-changing as that moment), which have all worked out with similar results.
Who or What do we hold on to?
- people/relationships
- outworn belief pattern
- our youth
- expectations
- stuff – clothes, nick-knacks, boxes of everything under-the-Sun since the day we were born,
- fill in the blank
Look to Nature; the trees shed their leaves in the fall to prepare for new blossoms in the Spring. The Universe abhors a vacuum; I learned this in the Louise Hay books and the classes I taught. You’ve got to let go of the old in order to receive the new. If your vase is full of water, it must be emptied for it to be replenished with fresh new water. We all know the meaning of “when one door closes, another one opens.”
I’ve had a couple of months of ongoing computer issues, and in the process of several trips to my PC guy, countless hours of frustration, tears, and anxiety, the ultimate happened. I lost years of work in edits I had made to one of my astrological software programs. Between all the different processes we were doing to try and figure out the PC issues, we lost years of my work. At the onslaught, I was devastated, frustrated, and depressed over this. As the days rolled on, I tried to remedy the situation, to no avail. Then I came to a place of surrender in my heart and called my PC guy up – “I’m OK with it; there are worse things in life than losing ten years of my astrology work; I’m over it.” “Are you sure?” he said to me. “Yes, I’ve moved on.”
I was getting ready to bartend a wedding banquet and decided I would try “one more thing” on the computer before I left for the banquet. OMG, it’s a miracle, I exclaimed as I called my PC guy and told him what happened. “All my edits and all those files are there!” Then I proceeded to tell him the story of surrender and letting go.
No one person or thing takes your power; YOU GIVE it away. Whether it’s the things we hold onto, the clutter in our lives, or the relationships that are beyond their expiration date, we need to take inventory periodically and reassess. Listen to that still small voice, stay present, accept the things you cannot change, and move forward.
Ponder on the premise of surrender in your life and ask yourself these questions as you go through your home, your workspace, or your relationships.
- Does it bring you joy?
- Does it add value or enhance your life?
- Are you holding on out of fear of change or the unknown?
- Would letting go free you in any way?
There is a time and a season for everything; the Universe is divinely orchestrated. Make yourself a checklist of the above questions as you move through your home/life this week and surrender your grip; let me know your results.
Blessings & Gratitude,
Ziggy Starrdust & Eva Starr
