Is Letting Go So Hard to Do?

Imagine yourself wearing a parachute inside a light aircraft at 10,000 feet above the earth. You are just one step away from jumping out but one of your hands holds tight to the edge of the doorway. You are just one step away from having to let go and plunge (safely) toward terra firma. Are you thinking: “Do I need to jump? Isn’t it safer to get back inside and let the pilot land the plane?”

Do I really have to let go?

Many parachutists across the world take that step and fly downward toward the earth, safe in the knowledge that their parachute will deliver them to the ground. Each and every one of these people makes a choice to let go, to take a chance, and to make the most of the opportunity.

For a parachutist, letting go is what is exciting. A step is taken, the adrenalin kicks in, and the experience becomes unique to each individual. To a jumper, the act of letting go is a positive thing, not to be scared of, rather to be embraced and allowed to happen.

A valuable lesson to be considered don’t you think – letting go?

Perhaps even more so if you have experienced or you are currently going through the redundancy process and/or you face unemployment, at a critical midpoint in your career.

If you fit into one of the above categories, especially as you are at the midpoint of your career, chances are that letting go is an option you choose to avoid. Yes? No?

Right now in your life you are in the middle of a period of transition. Transition is a time when what you have done in the past meets what you are currently doing or experiencing. It’s an interesting meeting point which raises a perhaps unwelcome level of uncertainty, as you are thrust into the unknown.

Transition is a time when you need to give yourself permission to let go

However, at this stage many people are greatly challenged by the whole idea of letting go. Feelings such as “But I feel guilty” or “I need to get a job” often surface, as if on demand. Why? Because you have been conditioned to believe that you need to be doing something and that you need to get a job. Is this as a result of having been the primary provider or breadwinner? Do you feel guilty that you are not looking after your family? Is the act of “working” so ingrained in your being that you have to do rather than be?

Letting go is about being

Consider the thoughts of a parachutist. He stands on the brink, letting go at the last moment, to be at one with flight. Instead of doing a jump, a parachutist enjoys the thrill and exhilaration of simply being in the moment. By letting go he opens his eyes to an amazing opportunity.

Letting go doesn’t need to be hard to do

But you must give yourself a chance to do so. Think of your transition as a safe parachute. Become a jumper. Get on board the plane. Step away from your conditioned past and into the vastness of opportunity. Step off the edge and embrace being in the moment. Believe in your parachute and know that when you release the catch you will be carried safely to the next stage of your life journey.