One of the best ways to learn from the journeys of other people is to read books, said Ankur Warikoo in multiple videos and conversations. I couldn’t agree more with him.
When I picked up the book, Let Go, by Pat Flynn, I had no idea what was in store for me. It’s a short, 64 page book which I finished in a single sitting, because it felt as if the author was sitting and having a dialogue with me.
Embracing the unplanned
Would you consider getting fired or dumped to be a blessing in disguise? At first, the answer might be a straight no. But a few years later, you will thank your stars for getting you out of that job or that relationship. The whole point of the book can be understood by looking at the elephant on the cover. He breaks free from the shackles that were limiting him/her.
Now take a moment to stop and think about your shackles. It takes multiple forms such as self doubt, disbelief in your potential, fear of getting judged, fear of rejection etc. Asking for a raise, saying ‘no’, sharing feelings with someone, being honest with yourself are some examples of how these shackles stop us from doing something. We are just too scared to do it.
Before starting this blog, I was also worried of judgement. What if people don’t like my thoughts? What if my writing is full of errors? What if no one reads my blog?
Trust me, it didn’t turn out so bad. Most of the fear and negativity was in my head only. Here’s my story of breaking my shackles.
Learn to let go
One of the lowest moments of my life was when even after 3 years of planning and taking every possible action to achieve what I wanted to achieve, I failed, miserably. I am sure we have all had similar experiences. That’s life. It defies our plans.
The authors of Rework say that planning is guesswork, you can listen to the podcast here. Pat Flynn had all his plans dismantled by the 2008 crisis. Despite that, he found success, fame and something he loved doing. Why? Because he was able to take the risk of letting go, of not holding too tight to his plans.
We need to be willing to sheer our ship in a different direction, which may lead us to a better destination, a place we haven’t even thought about.
Hurting your arm
Take the example of a glass filled with water, and hold it at shoulder length. The longer you hold it, the more your arm will start hurting and you will reach a point where you can no longer hold the glass. You will have to lower your arm and rest it. Same is the case with plans and pains, if you hold on to them for too long, it will only worsen your pain. Therefore, we need to learn to let go. So that we can embrace the new and the unexpected. You never know where your next opportunity or break through comes from, you just need to keep moving forward without holding the baggage of the past.
If there’s something you really want to do but your shackles are holding you back, look at that cute elephant on the book cover breaking through his, and go break yours. Let go, and start living.
Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash
