Shedding the Old     

Hi Everyone,  Apologies for the lateness of this month’s article – I’m in bed with the flu – as I work on ‘shedding the old’. But first – just to let you know… I am running a day retreat here in Hervey Bay, on Sunday 24th June (a shortened version of ‘How to Reclaim your Power (Peacefully)’. It booked out way faster than anticipated and before I could get this month’s article out… Though if you would like to come on the day, please let me know asap and I will put you on the list 🙂

As I lay here in bed aching and resting, I wonder about life and the many roles we each play… Snakes and lizards shed their skin to mark growth and newness. Day makes way for night, which makes way for day. Autumn blends into winter, which in turn blends into spring and so on – one respectfully making way for the other – no competing, no resisting, no forcing. Even the trees know that shedding the old leaves to make way for the new, is a necessary process of life. So too, humans must abide by the same principles, if they are to enjoy a smooth ride in life. The reason we struggle is because we don’t want to shed. We clutch on and don’t want to let go and wander around like we are stuck in a maze, unable to find the ‘exit’ – meanwhile our ‘baggage’ gets heavier and heavier.  We hang onto trinkets and memories that remind us of the past, to people and relationships that no longer serve our higher good, to outdated opinions and beliefs that keep pulling us back. Negative past experiences stick to us like mud – our worth and identity based on this boggy marsh – which has the ability to shake us to our very core.

So what do you do when the end of a cycle presents itself? Do you play in the falling leaves as the trees shed the old to prepare for new growth? Do you see new opportunities and fresh beginnings and appreciate that death is just the end of one story and the start of a new one? … Or do you get stuck in the withering, sadness and loss?  As a continuum – we see trees shed their leaves as part of the renewal cycle. We witness the changes in seasons and accept it without question. Yet we struggle with our own resistance to changing ourselves… The Law of Change states that ‘everything is in the process of becoming something else. Change happens everywhere and with everyone and happens constantly’.  The premise of this universal principle is – in order to grow, we must let go.

You know, leaves in full bloom are beautiful – from the budding pale greens to the dramatic bright reds and oranges and yellows. But no matter how magnificent, at some point the branches know they must let go of the old leaves to make way for new ones to grow in spring. Spring, like all the other seasons, will always come around. To enjoy this continual transition – from new to old, back to new again – trees, like animals, like humans, must trust in an uncertain process called life – and herein lies the rub. Humans do not trust the process! We say we do, but… We question. We doubt. We judge. We blame. We compare. We compete. And we criticise. All because we are afraid to step out of our comfort zone. Yes, of course there’s always the risk that new leaves may not grow, or that they may be damaged in some way, or aren’t quite as good as last years. But we cannot stop this process and we must accept and embrace that what will be, will in fact, be! When we recognise and accept seasons playing out all around and within us, we allow ourselves to be part of a spiritual eco-system that enables us to stay true to our own path. It allows us to embrace rather than resist, change. Instead of worrying about every little thing – clinging on so tight we can barely breathe – it enables us to prepare and let go.  And since change is the only constant in life – we may as well learn to flow, let go and let grow – so we can at least enjoy it.

There is something to be said about living in the present – the less we obey the past the less we worry about the future – and the more economical and present we become in our lives.  Most know of the ‘Law of Change’ but few accept it as such. Many refusing to release the past for fear of the unknown and won’t let go of their own branch until there’s another branch they can grab onto first… So even though winter may be seen as a season to retreat, it’s a wonderful time to turn inward and work internally (underground) – to continue to shed the old to make way for the new. It keeps us flexible and light in life. Hanging on to old stuff (because it’s familiar) serves no-one – it’s depressing and it’s heavy going.  We are in a constant state of movement – our bodies internal clock keeps the body functioning at optimum level. This constant state of movement – regulating and balancing our internal systems – is called Homeostasis. We are constantly moving, even if we don’t realise it. Processing and integrating new information – about ourselves, our perceptions and ideas, and about the world – as we recognise that old ways of doing things simply don’t work anymore.

Time to change. Time to let go. Time to flow. Stepping out of our comfort zone however can be daunting – but how do we know if we don’t have a go?… Experience tells me to just keep going. That if you fall – just get up, pay attention to where you tripped, dust yourself off, take a breath and simply keep going. Nothing is more suffocating then being imprisoned by our own fear, chained to our own gilded cage… Stepping out doesn’t mean we don’t experience fear, but that we step out regardless of fear. When we give ourselves permission to focus on the ‘stars’ instead of the ‘mud’, we give ourselves a way to try a new and different path 🙂

Question: Why do I hang onto old stuff / beliefs / situations / relationships?

Consideration:  What is it about ‘shedding’ that I struggle with?

Action:   For the month of June,  make a conscious effort to do the internal (unseen) work that is so necessary to shed the old (and is more healing, longterm) because it makes room for the new. Use winter as a great opportunity to start practicing ‘shedding’ as a new way of living. Continue this practice always – for it’s when are unprepared or arrogant – that we are tested the hardest.

Happy practicing – may you each show the courage to live differently – to the rest of the world.

And may you each create a happy month with lots of newness.

Lots of love,      Annemarie 🙂