Message From Ann

I have done a lot of letting go in my life, and I'm sure you have too. Beings I've loved both two and four-footed ones have died. Relationships have ended. I once let go of an entire way of life when I quit avionics engineering to leap into the great unknown. In most cases, a great deal of drama was involved, all understandably human, and for the most part, between my ears.
When I got divorced years ago I wailed over what the relationship could have been but was not, only to find a new sense of freedom, love, and joy in every aspect of my life. I sobbed over letting go of a house I had loved, only to find the same make and model, four years later, with the improvements I'd dreamt of. I shook like a leaf when I left my stable career in engineering and watched the miracle occur as I lived one day at a time, slowly being guided into the reality in which I now live. After years of learning surrender the hard way, I've realized that letting go is sometimes the quickest way to open the door to new realities.
When my dearest husky wolf Bruno passed, a few years back, I let go far more easily than I might have imagined. To my great joy, he went home with me in spirit and has been around ever since. I did let myself grieve when the tears hit but they were few and far between because, in reality, the last year of his life was so hard on both of us, that his passing freed me up to enjoy the relationship with him in spirit in a far easier and more loving way. Likewise when a troubled friend died, I did indeed grieve and grieve deeply, but I also knew she was finally at peace and happier than she'd ever been. When my dear grandma, who was not only one of the most wonderful women I know but also a role model to me, passed, again I cried, but celebrated her freedom. In learning to let go of their human forms, I allow myself to relate to their new and beautiful reality in spirit.
Lately the urge to let go hit me in a big way once again. This time it was old beliefs first, followed by releasing a ton of old stuff. This year, finally, I have learned to let go of my lifetimes long pattern of needing to "save" and "fix" people. I'd still be there for my friends in a heartbeat. I have just stopped trying to "make" things happen for others, and have been more focused on some of my own goals and dreams lately. It has been marvelous!
With that shift, came a strong desire to weed out the closets once again. I prayed and asked God to show me where to donate things and a week later, a dear client told me she was collected for a wonderful charity that gives teachers free supplies! I loved it! It was just the thing I needed to motivate me to clean out my office and craft room. For those of you creative folks, you know how hard that is! We can use a scrap of ribbon and hang on to everything. However, I got ruthless, and got rid of everything I hadn't used in the recent past. I got rid of things I'd carried all the way from my "past life" when I moved out of my old home. I got rid of projects I knew I'd never finish. I got rid of office supplies that I once used but no longer needed. And with every box and bag that left my home, I felt a weight lifting. I was giving away perfectly good things, and amen, hallelujah, now they would be put to good use. I have more to go! It feels so good to get stuck energy in motion.
I think at times we cling to things because they do remind us of happy times. We cling to people because we don't know the relationships can transform or we can find better. We cling to old beliefs because they make us feel safe, but in reality, all they do is block our joy! Little children are the most perfect examples of those who can let go. They play with a toy until they are done, then move on to the next. They talk to someone until they're done then move on. They live in a state of amazing grace and flow with their hearts. They trust.
So as the angels say, its inventory time in our lives. See what you can let go of this week... maybe just one thing, one situation, or one belief. See how it makes you feel, and enjoy your newfound freedom!
Love and lightness, Ann

Ps - I do these newsletters on Monday and had no sooner finished this one when I hurd a thunk in the backyard. I went out to discover a dove who had flown into the window, dying on my patio. I gently picked her up and held her close to my heart as the heat and the love of God poured through my hands and tenderly released her spirit from her body. As I always do when I'm there at a transition, I felt a rush of love, a moment of Oneness, and the freedom of her soul and she released a body that no longer worked. Her spirit, once free, soared into the heavens, but not before she turned to thank me. I was moved, humbled, and reduced to tears by the purity and wisdom of one of God's sweetest creatures. Talk about letting go...