Why Let it Go?

​Dear Why Team member,
I hope this week’s message finds you well - and will be of service to you.  

Why Let it Go?

Let it Go? 
If you have younger children, reading “Let It Go” may remind you of the famous Disney song from Frozen. It is a great song, like many Disney songs that leave much to the imagination and have parables and metaphors to awaken us to new insights and considerations. Coming at thoughts from different angles can present new views; for example, backing up can give us more a view of the forest and less of the tree.
Gotta love Perspective!
However, we’ve all been there where it’s hard to take a step back to see the broader picture and the only thing we can focus on, at the moment, is the thing in front of us. But what if we could elect to “Let Go” of an emotional problem as easily as a physical one, surgically? 

As a metaphor, consider elective surgery to remove a growth. Let’s say that this “growth” won’t kill you, but it’s not comfortable and certainly not optimizing your life. Consider something inside you that is invading space, causing pain and suffering. 
If elective, I suppose you could just live with the growth or ailment, but why? To avoid the anticipatory fear or the pain of surgery?
 
For many, the thought might be, if I can live with it, I will; let’s ignore it and focus on some distracting activity. Depending on the internal suffering, one might even become addicted to one or more distractions, OR you can push yourself to make a decision Now and choose the alternate route. There may be a scar that remains from the procedure, but years later, if you elect surgery, will you have gratitude for the discovery and removal of the invading growth and maybe even the manner in which it was removed? Or will you hold onto the pain that was experienced and the accompanying fear and anxiety? Will you choose to relive the surgery that removed the invader OR celebrate the removal no matter the price?

​Will you be bitter or will focus on how you got better?

​Consider this metaphor as it relates to painful, invading thoughts that can either be numbed out by distractions and addictions - or addressed head-on with a desire to be free of them. Consider the removal of lies that limit - even via some sharp turn in our life - that manages to set us free; if you feel freer, who cares about the pain of the surgery?!

​Quoting the song reference above:
“It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me, can't get to me at all
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm free!”

Consider being more proactive about getting at what ails you - moving toward and not away - choosing elective surgery.
 
Choose self-discovery, intentional about the elimination of limiting thoughts - be it accomplished through emergency surgery or elective surgery! Forget the means at which freedom was attained, as the same song says, The past is in the past! Focus on the gift: Freedom on the other side.

If you’re avoiding a hard look at those thoughts that steal your joy - have the courage and move toward, not away. There is no escaping that which keeps trying to get our attention.
What we don’t face, will stay in our face.
 
Just as a song melody that gets stuck in our head - research has shown that the way to stop it is to sing it out loud and sing the end lyrics of that song. I’ve written about this in the past, our brain is constantly looking for a solution to the problem; it’s looking for completion. What thoughts keep reoccurring in your head that want to be spoken out loud? Speak up, face what’s in your face and fear not the surgery to remove the obstruction - have the courage to live more fully your absolutely amazing abundant life, finalize the matter so you can move on.
 
Say Yes!
To any surgery that will cut out a lie - Let it Go - no matter how much the surgery might hurt, for a moment,
- for as we have been taught for centuries: only the truth can set us free.
 
Make it a great week,

Steve Luckenbach