When holding on is no longer supportive
Originally Posted Nov 17 2022
About a month ago we had our first snow. We’ve had several since then and winter appears to be here to stay in Calgary but that first one was a doozy with so much medicine available to tap into.
Up until the snow we were experiencing the most amazing autumn. We don’t usually get an autumn here that lasts beyond a week, it was warm, the leaves were incredible and just before the snow came the leaves we’re starting to give way. But not all of them. We have a willow tree in our backyard and it had het to let a single leaf fall.
When the heavy snow came, we didn’t make it out in time to push off the snow and the weight was too much to bear and it suffered a loss. A huge limb broke off as well as several branches and now it looks like half a tree. It’s happened before, its lost a major limb a few years back, for the same reason. It kind of breaks my heart every time I take it in.
This got me thinking about the Metal Element, and how we always focus on the release. Prioritizing the letting go accompanied by a million and one memes and posts of surrendering like the trees. If only it were that easy. But here's the thing, we never truly pay attention to the other side, the inhale and the accumulation. What it means or what its for. In order to have an adequate exhale there must be a strong inhalation to have come before.
In order to let go, we must understand and acknowledge why we want to hold on.
Even when we know, that holding on is hurting us or a disservice to our next steps or goals. Or maybe it’s not born out of pathology, we just wanted to savour the moment just a little longer knowing we can never get it back once it’s gone.
While I’ll never know the reason why this particular tree in my backyard seems to never want to let its leaves go and continually is injured as a result, perhaps it was just savouring the sun and its warmth, showing up it’s bounty of foliage for as long as it could.
The true initiation for this is for me to go inward and ask myself what am I holding onto that is no longer useful or helpful to me? This may be a material possession, a habit, a relationship, a belief etc. Why do I want to keep holding onto it? What would happen if I decided to let it go? How do I begin to let it go?
Not everything falls away once we decide. Sometimes we have to decide to let it go a million times over, chiseling away at its hold on us a little at a time. Acknowledging and respecting all the ways that it clings to us out of loyalty, safety, control and even stability.
We hold and accumulate for a reason. Knowing why holds the answers as to how you move forward and allow what no longer serves you to fall away with greater ease and flow.
For greater inquiry spend time with these writing prompts to get to the heart of your own knowing.
What am I holding onto that is no longer useful or helpful to me?
Why do I want to keep holding onto it?
Why do I want to keep holding onto it?
What would happen if I decided to let it go?
How do I begin to let it go?
XO
Ashley