Affirming the Letting Go - An Activity

© Jenn Shallvey

Blog post is also shared as podcast episode 23. Link below.

This is a short reflection for you. I was out doing some things today and thought I would share an activity suggestion. This is just me intuitively coming up with some ideas that if I were sitting with you, I might suggest, and the whole focus is again on the letting go series. But this time trying to begin to integrate and process some of the good things that we can remember from when we have let go of aspects of ourself. So have a listen. I encourage you to take up the suggestion of doing something and would love to hear from you how you go. Thanks.

If you've been going through and following these podcast episodes for each of the different topics so far, then you've probably hit a new level, a new level of understanding of who you are. And with that comes new insight, new awareness and a change of perspective such that when you look back at yourself you will not recognise you. Well you will not recognise the old you. You'll say that's not who I was, I wasn't doing that really. And there'll be parts of you that are no longer active in your life or no longer jumping to the fore in a conversation or in a relationship. And you'll see that that part has naturally fallen away. That is what I mean when I say aspects of self, and if it's done naturally organically through your own self-development it will be an awareness exercise and not so much an action exercise.

So today, what I wanted to do was give you an exercise. I wanted you to stop and just take a look at your life. And I want to start this from a point of joy and celebration and not loss because the foundation of going forward in all that you do, when you let go is claiming, establishing really going where you want to go, where you can go and where are you in a sense meant to go. It's like you're following a different path, but it's really your path. So take a look back in whatever way works for you.

The first thing though is to give yourself some time, give yourself even just 15 minutes. Maybe you're really generous and you can have a half hour, even more an hour, or if you're super indulgent, take a day off just for you and put aside all your obligations, all your worries, all your commitments, all your concerns. Take away for a moment, the labels and roles that others have put on you and that you have accepted and just stop and reflect. And you can go about this in many ways.

If you only have 15 minutes, then I would suggest you start with just a simple meditation. And if you don't like meditation in that sense, then you stop and just pause and reflect. And all I invite you to do is sit still and breathe in a quiet place where you feel safe and held. And to allow yourself the time. Perhaps you have a timer set for 15 minutes, that has a very nice ending sound, not a jarring sound. And you just give yourself a chance to breathe in that time space. And then you allow yourself the pleasure of revisiting the things that served you well in your life that are no longer present, but bring you some sort of satisfaction and joy knowing that that was in your life.

What have you let go of that you can actually still celebrate. Maybe it was an achievement back in your early childhood. Maybe it was a relationship with somebody that really helped you and shaped you in the direction of where you're going now. Maybe it was a family member that was a mentor to you and their wisdom still stays with you today. Perhaps it was a place that you lived in that when you go back to that in your memory, all you can do is remember the positive things about it, or you can choose to do that. Maybe it's a place in nature that you go to whenever you need to imagine the world is okay. These are things that aren't necessarily in your life now, but have been, and you've let go of naturally organically or by choice. Yet there's a energetic imprint in your life journey that goes with you wherever you go. You'll never have that. Not in you. It's an aspect of you. So a part of you is going to hold on to that. But the other part of you isn't.

And what have you have more than 15 minutes an hour, maybe you do a bit of that meditation. Maybe you do a little journaling, some free form journaling, where all you do is write whatever comes out of your thoughts onto a page. I find that when you do this with pen and paper or pencil, but no one uses that really anymore do they, a pen and paper or notepad, you really are connecting to yourself as you write. And there've been lots of people who've written about the idea of this, but I simply say, let the part of you that wants to speak write through your hand onto that page, give it permission and don't filter it or hold back or judge or criticise. Nobody is going to read that information. Whatever comes out of you onto that page is for your own eyes only. And then after you've let that out, and perhaps that's your way, you may then reflect on it. You may step back and read what you've written. You may go away for a moment, make a cup of tea, come back and then read more.

The point is, is you've given yourself a bit more time to process on more than one level. What is happening in yourself and what your awareness is giving you as a gift of remembering. Again, we're trying to remember the things that you may not have in your life anymore, but the residue or the memory or the aspect of it is still a positive thing in your life. So when you see the totality of that situation, you can see the part you let go of, and you can see the residue that you can continue to claim. Because when we're finished claim, when we're finished letting go, we're going to step into ourself and claim ourself fully. And that is really a scary thing to do for many, which is why we're worrying more about the letting go part first and less about that yet. But today I want you to keep digging into things that are in you, that you can hold onto, that are positive and you can claim that are part of that letting go process.

Now let's say you have a bit more time, maybe a half day or a couple of extra hours, then I'd invite you to go and move, explore nature, be one with the world around you. But not with people at this time. But take some time out for you to integrate the awareness that you got from that writing from that meditation, from that sitting still and walk around in nature, take a walk through the tracks near your home, or even drive to a park where you can walk by yourself on the grass, depending on the weather, because it might be a season where you don't have that opportunity. Then at least go out in the elements, feel the different elements. If it's cold weather, then put lots of clothes on and be warm and be out in the elements. Feel the wind on your face, feel the rain on your hands, whatever it is.

If it's hot, then find a place that has some water and cool down. Take it in, breathe it in, smell it, feel it, touch it, put all your senses into nature and let that be a connection for you. And in that, when you're connected to nature and you're grounded in that physical world process, more of what you've found in your awareness around the things that you've let go of that no longer serve you, but that left a residue that does serve you. Find that and sit with that in your walk, in your swimming, in your bike riding, in your lying down on the grass in the park, looking up at the clouds, whatever it is that you're doing, that's outside, that's moving action or with nature in another way.

. Let's say you have more time. You have a whole day. I would call this, and I've done this before, I've called this a retreat for you. You've given yourself a day just for you. And it's a way to give yourself permission to look after you self care, become more aware and then hold that energy and find a way to bring that energy into the rest of your life after that day. Think of yourself on a retreat, but without anybody with you for now. So you might do some more self-nurturing things like listen to some music and dance around in your house or have a bath if you have one, have a shower with some music on, have a nap, have a dream, go to your favourite cafe and have a nice coffee or tea and just sit there on your own and watch the people go by. Just be in your day.

If you have an animal, take some time out to be with your animal. Their unconditional love is forever. Whether it's a cat, a dog or something else, just spend some time with that animal and connect. And remember there is always a being on this earth that will love you no matter what. Whatever else sparks your creativity, whatever else excites you, follow that thread. Let your intuition guide you. Let your curiosity awaken within you and explore. Ask the question. Well, what if I did this? I wonder what that would be like. And then go and see what that's like. And if you don't like it, there's nobody else to say, Oh, you can't stop or you shouldn't do that or do more. You can stop. You can say no that wasn't really what I felt like doing, that's not for me today.

Imagine there's a menu in front of you, of all the different things you could do today. And pick one that stands out and feels right for you. And do that. Could be sitting doing a crossword puzzle or colouring in a colouring book for all. I know. It's doesn't have to be anything profound. But you are being with you. And while you're doing that on another level within you, all that insight, all that awareness and that part of you that you let go and the part of you that you're still holding on to this supporting you begin to settle, integrate become part of you.

Maybe a good focus might be the food you eat that day. I'm not here to say what you shouldn't shouldn't eat by no means. But on your retreat for that day, did you have a meal that you wanted to have that was really special for you? Maybe sit and just savour for that meal and be in that moment, eating that meal, just being thankful and grateful for that food for that moment. It's so simple. It's part of that nurturing, isn't it.

And as you go through all of this again, what is it that you have let go of that served you well, that you will now still carry forward the residue and remnants of as you go forward in your life? Name it and claim it. Own it. Be aware of it. Savour it. Whether it's 15 minutes, whether it's half an hour hour, whether it's half a day or whether it's a whole day, give yourself that gift as we go through all of these different letting go experiences and step forward into the next phase. I wish you well. Be kind and gentle to yourself. Love yourself at all times, and know that you are perfect exactly as you are, and that you are growing and changing in a way that will only be better for both you and everyone who is very lucky to be connected to you in your world. Enjoy