When we talk about being “strapped,” we’re normally talking about our financial expenses and debts being larger than our income and our assets.
But are there other ways we get stuck, burdened, and stressed out? Of course!
In fact, you could earn seven figures and be debt-free and still feel like you’re shackled and unable to live and dream freely.
That’s why we need to talk about the power of letting go. And by letting go, I’m referring to a conscious, intentional effort to release the limitations that are holding you back that have to do with more than just money.
I’ve found it beneficial to meditate on the things that weigh me down and then to release them with my thoughts and my words.
If you’re feeling stressed and burdened but you don’t know what’s holding you back (I’ve been there many times), here’s a list to get you started. Think through them and then verbally and thoughtfully let each one of them go.
And by the way, it’s entirely possible that these burdens will return tomorrow, if not sooner. What do you do when they come back? You repeat the process until you know you’re free.
- I realize I’m holding a grudge against ___. I hereby release my need for them to apologize to me or make amends.
- I realize I feel guilty about ___. I want to move past my past mistakes and failures.
- I realize I am unnecessarily worried about ___. I release my need to know the outcome ahead of time.
- I realize I’m trying to control ___. I release my need to have it all under my own control.
- I realize I’m too concerned with my own comfort. I release my addiction to comfort.
- I realize I’m trying to look good in a situation rather than being honest and taking criticism. I release my need to have a perfect image.
- I realize I’ve never healed from ___. I release myself to feel the weight of my pain and to process it with a friend or counselor.
- I realize I have a tight grip on my resources and haven’t been generous. I release my grip and will find a way to practice generosity today.
Are there more? Absolutely. This is just a starter list. It’s possible that you thought of something else while reading through these.
You can run farther and faster than ever as you shed the weight of your biggest limitations. You don’t have to be in control, to have all the answers, or to make everyone who has ever wronged you pay you back.
I still love that line in the original Star Wars: A New Hope when Obi Wan Kenobi’s voice enters Luke’s mind in the cockpit of his X-wing and says, “Let go your conscious self.”
I need that advice daily. I’m free when I consciously let go of whatever is holding me back. It’s part of living an unstrapped life.
Photo courtesy of @zacdurant via Unsplash
Brandon Cox is an entrepreneur, Northwest Arkansas Real Estate Agent, and blogger. He’s also a former pastor and church planter who still mentors and coaches church leaders. In addition to Unstrapped Life, Brandon blogs about life, leadership, and digital marketing.
