The Art of Letting Go

"Life is a balance of holding on and letting go." ~Rumi  

We cannot control everything in our lives.  No-brainer, right?  So why is it so hard to let go?

On the surface, controlling a situation seems to be about making sure we get what we want.  But dig a little deeper and you'll find that control is merely a defense mechanism.  It is how we protect ourselves from the perceived threat of pain.  By vigilantly maintaining control, we disillusion ourselves into believing that we are not vulnerable.  Control keeps us guarded, thereby protected.  But no matter how hard we try, change happens anyway.

Surrendering to the flow of life takes courage and trust -- in our soul path and in God.  It requires that we shed our defenses, our façade, and our ego in exchange for the nakedness of vulnerability.  From the ego's perspective, this is both scary and intimidating.  But from a soul perspective, it is within this very place that we discover the depth of our character and the strength of our faith.