How do I let go and enjoy life more?
While you may dismiss an additional pound of baggage as insignificant, airlines view it differently. It can exert undue pressure on a plane, endangering the lives of its passengers, increasing fuel consumption, and potentially delaying the flight. In extreme cases, it can even lead to a catastrophic crash.
This analogy mirrors the journey of life.
Introducing another source of worry may not immediately ruin your life, but if left unchecked, it can accumulate to an unhealthy level. Stress, anxiety, and various other problems can slowly creep in, causing serious trouble.
These burdens hinder your ability to soar high, clipping your wings and slowing down your progress, preventing you from reaching new heights.
If you haven’t done so already, do what airlines do. Regularly inspect and assess the baggage you carry and keep it to a minimum. When you sense that there is an excess, learn to let it go, so that you can live a life of ease and freedom.
The less excess baggage you carry, the freer you become, increasing the likelihood of performing your best and finding more joy in life.
Baggage takes various forms and shapes. An example is distraction, which is akin to excess baggage that diverts your focus. It pulls your attention away from the center, leading to unnecessary and costly detours or leaving you lost in the jungle of scattered thoughts.
Eliminate distractions is a way to shed excessive baggage in life.
A new disciple approaches his master and asks, “Sir, how do you practice Tao?”
The master responds with profound simplicity, saying, “When you are hungry, eat; when you are tired, sleep.”
The disciple is amazed by the straightforwardness of the answer. “Isn’t that what everyone does already?” he asks.
The master replies, “No. Most people consume themselves with countless desires when they eat and dream of countless designs when they sleep.”
Do you see the difference? It’s no wonder many people struggle to eat well and sleep peacefully. They carry the excess baggage of distractions while eating and sleeping.
By unburdening yourself from distractions, you can regain your focus. No longer will you be plagued by a myriad of desires while eating or caught up in a flood of thoughts while trying to sleep.
When you are focused, you truly live in the present moment. By living in the present and maintaining focus, you take significant steps forward in your life journey. You experience better sleep and enjoy a more satisfying meal without the weight of distractions holding you back.
But the first thing is to let go of the baggage that distraction brings.
By directing your focus, you can derive greater fulfillment from your actions while doing less.
Start now! Even if it’s just for a single minute, you’ll experience the freedom of living without the burden of excess baggage for that precious golden minute.
Don’t underestimate the impact of this practice. If you can successfully achieve it for one minute, you can repeat it for another minute, and then another. Once you can apply it to combat distractions, you’ll find that it can be applied to conquer fears, worries, anxieties, and countless other challenges.
Gradually, without even realizing it, you’ll begin shedding more and more of the excess baggage in your life.
In time, you’ll come to recognize the power of wu wei, the art of accomplishing more by refraining from doing more.
“The five colors blind the eye.
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavors stale the palate.
The chase for preys deranges the mind,
too much treasure impedes one’s growth.The Sage acts on what he feels not what he sees,
so allows things to come and go.”— Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching quotes, Verse 12
