Image Licensed From Shutterstock I recently experienced my first hot air balloon ride. Unlike skydiving, which is exhilarating beyond measure, I found hot air ballooning to provide a level of peace and tranquility I never imagined possible. Floating through the sky at an elevation of 5,000 feet in nothing but a basket attached to a nylon and polyester balloon doesn't exactly paint the picture of calm. Yet, everything about it was serene. The air was smooth while the sweet sound of silence and spectacular views of the Arizona desert unfolded around us.
The reason I share this experience is not to advocate hot air ballooning (however, if it's on your bucket list my vote is to do it!). My intention is to share an epiphany I had while drifting through the sky.
A very wise person once told me to place a hurtful situation I was experiencing into a red balloon and release it into the air. At the time, I tried to visualize doing just that, but it didn't evoke great feelings of relief. It was hard to imagine how sending something off into the sky was a peaceful act. It almost felt like I was being a bit spiteful or immature by banishing my pain-filled balloon into the clouds.
My experience of drifting through the blissful skies somehow helped me to fully understand the value in letting go. These are some of the insights that breathtaking ride inspired me to embrace:
1. The act of letting something go can be done in a loving way. If you are ready to wrap your hurt in a red balloon and let it go, know that where you are releasing it is filled with immeasurable beauty and awe. Imagine that kind of peace extinguishing the hurt and liberating your soul.
2. Every situation, both positive and negative, is attached to a lesson. Rather than dwelling on the hurt, shine some light on the lesson and find gratitude for what the learning provides. When you come across people or situations that provide challenging and uncomfortable lessons, know that you can let those people or situations go, while still holding onto the valuable insights you were blessed to learn.
3. It is okay to let things go. It is okay, it is okay, it is okay. Holding on to things that continually cause us pain will provide more of the same until we choose differently. Letting go of old ways of thinking that don't serve us has a way of opening us up to the limitless possibilities of new and exciting ways to experience life.
4. YOU are worth it! Above all else, know to your very core that you are worthy of experiencing the joy and lightness that is on the other side of letting go. Remind yourself that releasing anything that is holding you back from your joy is a gift that you have the power to both give and receive.
5. There is no time like the present. One of the most amazing things about life is that IF we are here right now in this very moment, we are so blessed! Focus on that, and all of the sudden everything else becomes so much easier to let go of.
You get to decide when it is time to let go of the things that don't feel good in order to enjoy all that does. Give it a try and see what happens when you let go!
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