Letting Go & Moving with Intention
Hello & welcome back, I missed y’all.
Happy belated new year! I’ve decided this year, resolutions ain’t it. There’s something about a resolution that sounds so daunting and superficial. Why should I save positive intentions and important decisions for one time of year?
It’s like giving gifts on Christmas. I shouldn’t have to use a holiday as a reason to give the people I care about gifts. I’d like to consider myself a year-round Santa Claus. If you really think about it, setting intentions and shifting toward more positive lifestyle habits is probably the greatest gift we can give ourselves. So why only give it once a year? 2022 is the year of full-force Santa energy.
Instead of resolutions, I’ve decided to make new year's intentions (it’s different, I swear). Resolutions are stone cold decisions. To me, it feels like a resolution is set to solve something and I don’t like to look at my life like a math problem.
My issue with looking at my life as a series of problems that need to be resolved is that it puts so much emphasis on what’s wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE goal setting and everyone who really knows me knows I’m an incredibly goal-oriented person who loves a challenge. I love me a good to-do list and find genuine delight in helping my friends work through their problems (luv u guys<3). That being said, I want my goals to take into account where I am now and where I’ve been rather than just where I want to be.
If we don’t reassess where we’ve been and where it’s gotten us, we’re just going to keep falling into the same habits wondering why we continue to “fall off the wagon.” There has to be real thought behind why an action or change is being made. We have to accept our faults without harsh judgment and understand why we see them as such. If we can look at areas of our life from an unbiased perspective and see them clearly for what they really are and can identify why we want to change them (outside of the cultural expectations we’re surrounded by), then we can begin to make real change.
That’s my whole issue with cancel culture. If we just keep canceling people and shows and movies and anything that’s been controversial, it’s like we’re trying to erase history. What happens when people don’t pay attention to history? It repeats itself. If we don’t like something or someone, we don’t have to completely throw it out. Instead, we can use it as a reference of what’s wrong and communicate our issues and expectations moving forward. We can continue living with a clear understanding of what’s wrong and why, setting standards for ourselves and those around us.
When it comes to setting goals, intention is key. Why do we want what we want? What did we have in the past? Where are we now?
It can be really easy to slip into old habits and negative feedback loops regarding failure when we do. Slip ups happen and life is life. The key to growth is to let go of what no longer serves us.
Letting go
PC: Humberto Guzman
It’s so easy to cling to things we don’t have, things we’ve lost or things we aspire to. The thing about clinging is that our tight clasp keeps us from being open and receptive to what’s naturally meant to be. We become addicts to what isn’t meant for us. What’s more difficult than letting go of the past? Being fully present.
There’s so much pressure to put our egos away and admit we were wrong when situations don’t pan out the way we envisioned. What if we weren’t wrong, though? What if every person, place and thing that’s been in our lives has been there for just the right amount of time for the perfect moments and we’ve neglected to see the beauty in the impact because we’ve been so attached to an idea of what should’ve been.
What if instead of holding on to what’s worked before, we learn who we’ve been growing to be? Sometimes we become so submersed in our perceived reality that it becomes a cage. We lose touch with where we really are and where we’re going.
Living and reaching towards new goals and challenges is important but there must be times where we sit, rest, breathe and be with who and where we are. Where are we growing?
This is why I looooove having plants. If I don’t repot my plants into a bigger home or new environment, they won’t grow. There’s nothing wrong with my plant babies staying small, but I want to see how big they can get if I give them ample room to grow. It’s the same with us.
Maybe you’re completely content with where you are and have no plans to change your situation. That’s completely valid. You’ve probably worked for what you have and where you are and are happy with it. But let’s say a month or a year goes by and you’re still living that same routine. You’ve been in the same s(pot - haha get it) and want to switch the circumstances and see just how big you can grow in a new environment with different challenges.
It might be hard. If you’re anything like my plants you’ll probably struggle at first, adjusting to the light and moisture levels, probably losing a few leaves. But once you adapt, you’ll start to grow new leaves and longer branches and maybe even take on a whole new shape.
If we cling to where we were when we were in the little pot, we’ll miss out on the growth and development we experience in our new environment. There’s nothing wrong with where we were or where we’re going but if we keep focusing on where we’re not, we’ll never appreciate where we are. This is why no matter what environment we’re in, it’s important to continually check in. It doesn’t matter where we are, if we forget to care for ourselves we’ll never feel satisfied with our growth.
If I forget to water my plants or clean their leaves, they’ll die. It’s the same with us. If we don’t continually check in with ourselves in each phase of our lives and give ourselves the nourishment we need, we’ll continue to feel empty or imbalanced. This is where moving with intention becomes important. It’s not about how big we can grow, it’s about the journey of getting there. If all we see is potential in our future and don’t value where we are here and now, we’re not truly nourishing ourselves. Getting to the finish line or achieving our goals isn’t going to solve all of our problems. Learning to love and care for ourselves is the most important part of the journey and it makes our stories of growth even more powerful.
I don’t know about you, but I want to grow with intention. I want to appreciate the tiny victories and milestones and hardships and love every moment of it. I want to be my own Santa all 365 days of the year. I intend to live my life fully present, communicating my needs and letting go of what no longer serves me. How about you?
I hope y’all are ready, 2022 is our year.
PC: Humberto Guzman
