What Ollie Taught Me About Letting Go

Why We Need To Let Go of What We Truly Want

Yesterday on my Facebook page, I came across a beautiful picture and post that spoke about how we don’t ever yearn and cajole the sun to rise, we simply trust in the knowing that it will, every morning.

It reminded me of how we often find ourselves tremendously worked up and wound up about what we want or need to achieve when we have identified our goals and aspirations.

Perhaps it is in the nature of how our society works and how we have always been taught to work hard and that all that we ever need to achieve our desires is to focus all of our energies in to working to the end goal.

I, too used to be a fervent believer in the sanctity of working hard. That is until I too experienced the amazing impossibilities of synchronicities, how things happen and how solutions present themselves, completely beyond the possibilities of our human control.

Much has been said about the Law of Attraction, a great many books, audios and videos have been produced and shared detailing it’s nature and the myriad of ways in which it works.

Less though has been said about the importance of ‘letting go’, which I have found and learnt to be the biggest, potentially the most important step in manifesting.

Letting go is not about ‘forgetting your idea’ or ‘giving up on the dream’.

It’s really about being ‘easy’ about what it is that is to come.

It is really about learning to trust that whatever your desire, whatever your hearts secret hopes, dreams and wishes; they are already yours, you simply have to open up, relax in to the knowing that it is coming and enjoy every present moment.

I had a great reminder of this as I observed our  Yorkshire Terrier Ollie a couple of weeks ago.

He is fairly typical of terriers, of a guarded, possessive nature, especially when it comes to his ‘favourites’.

As a treat we gave him a rawhide chew, something he absolutely loves. However as it is an occasional treat, he often gets very protective of it. Guarding, snapping and generally being very unfriendly to anyone who happens to come near the vicinity of his treat.

Now, because of this behaviour, we often feel threatened and worried about the consequences of him actually biting. So much so that, every time he starts behaving that way, we start plotting how we can remove the raw-hide chew from him. (Generally one of us will lure him away, while the other quickly snatches and removes the treat).

The last time we had to remove the raw-hide chew from Ollie in this way, it occurred to me, that this is almost exactly to what it must be like when we are wanting, or when we desire something so greatly that we do all that we can to hold on to it.

Of course, we do not go around growling and snapping and generally being nasty, but without a doubt, emotionally we get very tense, and with that the equivalent feelings of fear and worry come along and so the things that we think of and focus on undoubtedly come true.

So here’s what I learnt from Ollie that day.

1. Ease in to it

In all that we want to achieve, especially when we have already identified the goals, hopes, dreams and aspirations. We also need to ‘ease in to it’. To be able to gently, as graciously as swans, ease in to the feeling of having already achieved it.

2. Be willing to let go

In easing in to the experience, we also need to be willing to let go of our tight hold on the reins and be open the all possibilities and probabilities that may open up in our path.

As we hold in our tight grasp our narrow perceptions of the path that we need to take to achieve our goals, we lose sight of the broader perspective, the greater possibilities that may occur, beyond and outside of our mind’s own potential solutions.

3. Be mindful, be present and enjoy the moment

As we move along the path, while our eyes may settle on a goal a little further down in the distance, we need to also be aware that we always, always live in the present moment.

To know that, all roads lead to your goal, all moments culminate at that meeting point and yet the only moment that is of the essence is the one that you are currently in.

4. Trust

Learning to trust that everything is working out exactly as it should be goes hand in hand with the ability to ‘let go’.

But once we can settle-in, learn to let go and trust that the everything is working out exactly as it should, amazing pathways open up and help us on our way.

And remember,  take care and be happy

What are your greatest dreams and passions? And are you ready to ‘let go’?