Why letting go is the most effective way to change your life

How come one morning I wake up and I love my life and feel super inspired, and the second morning my life feels the worst?

What has changed? Nothing significant in my external world at least…

I’ve noticed that when I feel bad my mind tries to find explanations on the outside: meaningless job, boring home, people don’t give me what I want... And sometimes it thinks that changing, doing or buying something will improve how I feel.

And sometimes that may be true: something external may be the problem or the solution and it’s time to make some external changes. But most of the time the problem is internal and problems will follow me wherever I go unless I change my mind.

So what I’ve learnt is that the only thing that permanently improves my life experience is focusing on improving my internal state.

This is because my internal state is what defines how I experience my life. The exactly same event on two different days is either experienced as a problem or not, depending on mindspace.

So my mission is to focus on my mind: to keep it as open, optimistic and loving as possible. This isn’t easy, but it works.

I have found a few methods that help me again and again arrive in a more open state of mind. One that I have always been promoting is meditation. Every morning I take a moment to arrive in my life/body/mind as it is. Accepting it completely. Letting this restless little mind that’s always searching for something on the outside turn inward for a moment.

Another technique I’ve recently learned is called “Letting go”. In this technique I first notice the state I am in and completely accept it without trying to change it. Then I ask myself “could I let this state/feeling/experience go?”. Sometimes the answer is “no”, but sometimes I’m able to say “yes” and let it go. Then I find myself in a lighter, freer and more happy state.

In this state I enjoy what I have. Instead of living out of dissatisfaction I do things out of joy, courage, curiosity, compassion, inspiration… more positive states of mind.

That’s where I want to be.

If this post resonated I warmly recommend the book “Letting go” by David Hawkins.