You’re connected to life and the universe

“My friend died, and I was upset,” a man told me one day. “I took off on a trip, wandering around the Southwest, hiking through Bryce Canyon.

I saw the snow in the caverns, the rich red carved peaks sticking up. I saw the vastness of the universe, and the beauty in all of it. I had set off on my trip to prove how unique and isolated I was in my grief. By the time the trip ended, I realized just how connected to this world I am.”Part of letting go is recognizing that you are a part of this universe and not separate from it.Perhaps a situation has come up in your life recently that signals an ending—the passing of a relative, the end of a relationship, the loss of a job. The people we love and the things we do contribute to our sense of who we are. When the people and things we love are threatened, taken away, we can rebel. We want to hold on to the known and don’t want to see what’s on the other side.Let go of the uncontrollable in your life. You’re not a solitary being in this great universe, set to struggle against all of the forces; you’re part of the whole. And the changes that come—whether they’re joyous or sad, easy or difficult— are just a part of the growing process that each of us goes through.Feel the pain when you have a loss. Feel the joy when you triumph. Then let go and continue to grow.See how connected you are.God, help me recognize that I am a part of your creation and don’t need to fight it.

Help me live in peace and celebration of life.

From the book: More Language of Letting Go