Let It Go

Posted by Coach Mike on Jul 7, 2011 in Inspiration, Motivation, Spiritual | 1 comment

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July 6, 2011 –

I am more of an introvert than an extrovert. Maybe I fit the engineering stereotype a little bit. I have worked to be more gregarious and social. My wife is an extrovert so that has really helped break me out of my shell. But all too often, I find myself holding onto things. And while I like to pretend that nothing bothers me, it does.

Sometimes the things I hold onto are small, other times they are more meaningful. Many times, the hardest things to let go of are those events we cannot change. We wish we could reverse time. We wish Doc Brown and his DeLorean existed so we could have a life mulligan. But as Garth Brooks says in The Dance, “Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain. But I’d of had to miss The Dance.” So often I think of life as a destination and not a journey. And the fact is that it is a very imperfect journey.

I tell my wife that I don’t want to see our kids go through any of the rough waters we had to in our lives. But the fact is that those rough waters shaped me more than any calm seas ever did. And so they will need to through those rough times as well to shape themselves as individuals.

But for all the rough times, there are some things that are just hard to let go of. It can be an extreme case like Corrie Ten Boom who encountered her Nazi guard years later and as he asked for her forgiveness, she gave it to him. (See HERE for the whole very moving story.) Or it can be something more commonplace, like an argument with a family member. Or maybe you regret a path you choose at a fork in your life. Or maybe you regret letting yourself get so out of shape. Whatever it is, there is one truth that I need to remind myself over and over again.

WE CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST

I really like the quote on the left. We are in control of what is controlling us. We control our attitude. We control our reaction to a situation. We control whether we want to let a grudge hold onto us. And I am guilty of choosing the wrong side of that coin more times than I can count. But at the cornerstone of healing is forgiveness. And many times we need to forgive ourselves first. Stop beating yourself up. My sister gave me a great visualization once. Whenever you beat yourself up, picture punching youself as a 6 or 7 year old. It is a hard visualization, but it is one that helps me appreciate what I am doing to myself.

As I have matured, I have realized that the book named “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” was right all along. Now that doesn’t mean we don’t have to face the real issues in our lives. But there are many things that we need to just LET GO! I find comfort in my faith and knowing that I am not lost when I follow God’s path (which many time is not the path I think is right for me).

My challenge today is to think about all the things that are holding us down. Find some alone time and let them them go. Breath Deep, say a prayer, and let them go.

The song below is by the Zac Brown Band. Not only is this group of guys one the most musically gifted groups in recent memory, they also have profound lyrics. I love this song for its honest message and one that rings true for me.

“Save Your Strength for Things That You Can Change, Forgive the Ones You Can’t, You Gotta Let ‘Em Go!”

Let It Go

By Zac Brown Band
Spent the night with a friend of mine and a handle of good whiskey
We picked guitars and talked about how the glory days we missed ’em
And it didn’t take too long to find the truth inside that bottle
Cast a-sea so long ago was a message from my father.

You keep your heart above your head and you eyes wide open
So this world can’t find a way to leave you cold
And know you’re not the only ship out on the ocean
Save your strength for things that you can change
Forgive the ones you can’t
You gotta let ’em go

Looking back now on my life I can’t say I regret it
And all the places that I ended up not the way Ma woulda had it
But you only get once chance at life to leave your mark upon it
And when a pony he comes riding by you better set your sweet ass on it

Like a sweet sunset in Georgia let it go
And like the fear that grabs a hold ya let it go
Let it go
Let it go

One Response to “Let It Go”

Coach Indo says:

July 7, 2011 at 10:26 pm

Excellent Post!!
Seems fitting on your B-Day!

Happy Birthday!

The Journey IS the Destination.

(on the back of a T-Shirt I own…)

Reply