Sometimes, the smallest shifts can change the entire course of our journey.
A group of us are gathering weekly to explore the challenges and gifts of letting go—a theme that echoes through many spiritual traditions, but often feels so hard to practice in daily life.
David Hawkins, who has written a book entitled Letting Go, writes about how turning the wheel of a ship by just 1° leads to a completely different destination. The same is true for us. Small inner shifts, repeated over time, can profoundly reshape the direction of our lives.
We live in a world that prizes holding on: holding on to plans, opinions, persistent worries. And all of these make sense on one level. They provide a sense of control and familiarity. The trouble comes when our well-being becomes entangled in everything going "our way." We grip harder, exhaust ourselves, and yet life resists our control.
It’s paradoxical but true that well-being and letting go hand in hand. Whether through meditation, prayer, or simply a quiet moment of surrender, letting go recalibrates our inner compass.
It’s not resignation or giving up—it’s about realigning with reality. It’s a quiet return to truth.
It's not always dramatic. Sometimes it's as subtle as a softening in the chest, and a reminder that the storm will pass, that this feeling isn’t forever.
It’s not complex. A deep breath, choosing to pause before reacting, or resisting the cookie before bed—these simple acts matter. They are the small degrees of shift that, over time, reorient our lives.
Over time, these small, repeated acts of release change the course of our life. Along with the momentary softening of heart, mind, and body, the practice of letting go opens us to a larger, luminous field of spiritual intelligence. Our tightly held identities and worries begin to loosen. A new direction reveals itself—subtly at first, then unmistakably.
If you’d like to try a practice, here’s a simple method I call the 4 R’s of Letting Go:
Recognize - Notice and Name: Identify what is present for you. Clearly name the thought, emotion, or body sensation that has been triggered or where you feel stuck.
Relax - Pause and Breathe: Take a slow, intentional breath. Soften your body and calm your nervous system, creating space for deeper reflection.
Respect - Honor Your Experience: Welcome your reaction without bypassing or placing judgment upon it. Briefly listen for any message or lesson it may have for you.
Release - Let Go with Gratitude: Thank the thought, emotion, or sensation for what it has shown you. Gently release it, acknowledging that its purpose is now complete.
Give it a try. You never know what might open up when you allow yourself to release just one small thing—an old belief, a lingering fear, a familiar habit.
You may find, in time, that your life is turning toward a whole new horizon.