We must have the ability to let go of tensions if we are to let go of stress and live a more intentional life.
But letting go needs to have a first step of stopping and becoming aware of what is going on.
When you stop, you’ll realize that your stress is a result of your resistance to reality, which includes grasping for what you believe you want to have, clinging to what you currently own out of fear of losing it or attempting to flee from what you do not want.
Once you become conscious of your stress—or, to put it another way, your resistance to reality—you then have a choice in how you will respond to reality rather than simply reacting to it.
We need to develop the attitude of accepting things as they are and realizing that we are much bigger and more expansive than the voice that insists that keeps saying ‘this can’t be happening, or things have to happen in this way.’ This does not imply that we support unethical actions or fail to speak out against injustice. It simply means that we are able to observe the situation for what it is, calm down, and then be in a good position to respond to it rather than react to it using wisdom rather than our typical patterns of reaction.
This includes the harsh judgments we routinely make about ourselves about our actions, attitudes, and feelings. When something occurs inside of you, take a moment to yourself, breathe deeply, and then acknowledge and accept whatever has happened, so that you can act appropriately.
Now consider it with curiosity and kindness and then let the tension go by applying reason and love. What reason and love should you apply? Consider that you are experiencing this stress because you want things to be different, ‘I want things to be different and I have a choice about this. Can I allow myself to stop clinging to an idea that is causing me suffering and can I allow myself the care and kindness to let the tension I have accumulated go? Will I allow myself to see the situation as it is rather than how I want it to be and then take wise action to respond?’
Finally, ask yourself, “What would a wise person do?”
Written By: Atousa Khadem