In our search to feel content and at peace in life, we may think we have to change our behavior or habits, but does this really work? What really is in our way of finding peace is our decision of what life is. It is the belief that somehow we can figure it out, figure out our problems, and destroy our struggles? What we have is the core belief that what we do today will inhibit any further creation of tomorrow’s sorrows. We think that if we can stop the struggles in our life right now, we will live in peace in the future. But life does not work this way. We have to let go of the battle we have with struggle itself and release the challenge of keeping it away.
Letting go of the endless worry of what will be eases us into the moment. Letting go of the reoccurring behavior of control over our lives lets our lives be what they are. We can live in peace when we let go of the belief that we are in charge of it. We can not control our lives; we are part of it, with it. Life is bigger than us, and when we let go, we enable the process of life to take us with it. When you try to control what is around you, you are fighting the moment you are in. You disengage from what is real when you see the moment as hard or when you are unable to accept it. Peace is lost because we fight with where we are. We fight with what may be, what was, and what is. We constantly do this in both big and small ways. By not accepting what is, we create struggle. By believing we can control the world around us, we inhibit acceptance and begin to work against life.
Life is bigger than we are or understand; therefore, to expect to be in charge is to assume we are in control of everything and will always be. Life does not unfold this way; it is surprising. By seeing life as a struggle, it will be what you experience. You will constantly be at battle, forever seeing the next obstacle and not able to be where you really are. How can you release this behavior? By seeing that it is not a behavior, but a choice, one made when we discovered we had no control over life. We decided that life was hard, impossible, or unpleasant. We chose to struggle with it instead of accepting it. There may be times when we slide back into thinking life is great, but once we begin to feel a lack of control, we will again struggle with it.
The challenge lies not in how you see life, but in letting life be as it is. For when we let go, we free ourselves up to be where we are. We let go of our ideas, our beliefs, of what we think life means or is and then we become fully present in life. Imagine no longer assuming what tomorrow will be like, no longer constantly planning ahead. Let yourself relax into where you are; we lose our peaceful state of mind by constantly skipping ahead. We lose the feeling of contentment as soon as we try to work against the moment.
Peace comes to us when we let go completely. It will forever allude us if we try to manage, control, maintain, or, in one way or another, work with life. Life doesn’t exist to be managed. It is not this separate thing that needs our attention or focus. We are part of it. When we let go, we release the pressure of trying to maintain what already exists. We enable ourselves to be where we are and we give ourselves the opportunity to exist as we are meant to. We can live without struggle and be at peace with our life as it is right now, in this very moment.
Open up to the peace you will find when you finally see yourself, your true self, and learn how to truly be in the moment at Answers in Writing.
Adam Benedetto and Zoe Young are both dedicated to enabling others to reach their full potential in life, to help others release what is holding them back, and to find their true selves. Through years of experience and development, both have sought out the answers we all need to find peace, understand ourselves, and reach enlightenment.