Guest Blogger Jonelle Roman on Letting Go

I’m not particularly fond of cats (I take after my Grandma Elly who was terrified of felines) but I do appreciate the notion of non-attachment. Please see below for a special post from my friend—and certified yoga instructor—Jonelle Roman:

You Have to Let it Go

My roommate Alyssa and I were having a glass of wine at home when she pulled up a video that her friend, Mary, sent her of her kitten, Super Bean (yup, that’s its name), playing a game on her iPad. The game shows fish swimming across the screen and Super Bean has to tap the fish for points. There comes a point though when Super Bean holds on to one fish and holding onto it freezes up the game. “You have to let it go,” says Mary, and Super Bean lets it go and the game resumes. Fish are swimming around again, but Super Bean doesn’t jump to hold one this time. He just watches. Then BOOM! PREPARE FOR LEVEL 3 flashes across the screen, he’s moved up! GO KITTY! Still, Super Bean sits and watches without reaching.

Isn’t that a striking representation of life? We do it all the time, hold onto things. All sorts of things. I have clothes that I don’t wear that are freezing up my drawer. (I know I’m gonna wear that sweater again someday!) I have fears and emotional hang ups that are freezing up parts of my life. I can’t move forward to the next level! Argh! Holding onto things freezes the game! But that next level, that next journey is always there when we let go, when we detach. There’s so much more ahead! When we finally choose to be present and observe, and not attach, there is movement. We live life with less weight and move forward. BOOM! Level 3!

So take a note from Super Bean today: let it go.

J

Cartoon by Hugh MacLeod