“You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles.” — C. JoyBell C.
What if you could release negative emotions and feel lighter and ready for anything as you go about your day?
You can. You just have to find your lighter feeling.
A Lighter Feeling
A “lighter feeling” is a big deal.
Recently, I read The Abundance Book: Learn to Let Go of any Negativity in Seconds, by Larry Crane. It’s interesting in that he focuses on getting and maintaining “a lighter feeling.”
It’s not a heady thing.
In fact, Crane says that’s the problem.
Let Your Feelings Flow Through You
He says, the key is to build a habit of letting our feelings flow through us versus hold on tight.
When we hold on tight, we get heavy. When we release, we get lighter.
If you know what it’s like to travel light, whether it’s a lighter backpack, or simply lighter shoes, you can imagine the value of traveling emotionally lighter on this journey we call life.
Crane says our energy is made up of particles that, although they are small, have size and weight, and we can measure it. He was an engineer so maybe that’s true. Either way, what’s important is that the feelings we hold on to can have psychic weight.
And that’s what bogs us down.
So how does Crane suggest we release our negative energy that weights us down?
He says the easy way to release is to become aware of the feeling, feel the feeling, identify the feeling, relax into the feeling, and release the feeling.
Here are a few highlights that help explain how to practice the Release Technique of letting go.
Activate Your Feeling Center
Disengage your head and activate your feeling center.
Via The Abundance Book:
“Because this is such a new and different concept, let’s play with it and try it out so you can comprehend the experience. So think about a person or situation that is not so wonderful in your life.
Point or tilt your head down toward your feeling center (your stomach or chest). This disengages your head and activates the feeling center, which is the erase mode.
You will notice an unwanted energy in your stomach or chest area. Take some time to notice it. We are just looking for some energy out of harmony in that area. Maybe it is a clutching feeling or a knot in that area. Again, notice that it is an unwanted energy.”
Make a Way for Unwanted Energy Leave
It’s like drilling for oil. Make a way for negative emotions to move through you, versus stay trapped inside. You trap negative energy inside when you access your head.
Via The Abundance Book:
“The way one drills for oil is to first find the oil and then sink a rig or pipe into the oil pocket.
Next, the pipe is uncapped and then the oil or energy comes shooting out. … Now, this unwanted energy that is trapped in our stomach and our chest WANTS to leave.
The problem is it will not leave if you access your head. It will only leave from your stomach or chest.
So, once again, think about that situation or person that is particularly bothersome. Put your head down. Put an imaginary tube into that unwanted energy, uncap it, and allow it to come shooting out.
Now allow more to come shooting out. And more. And more and more…”
Look for a Little Sign of Lightness
Slowly build your ability to feel your lightness. The more you let go, the lighter you feel.
Via The Abundance Book:
“Notice if you feel lighter. All we are looking for right now is a little sign of lightness to show you that you can erase things.
You might already see that when you think about that undesirable situation or undesirable person, you are not as bothered as you were before – just a second ago.
Now think again about some situation or person that is not so wonderful in your life, put an imaginary rig or tube into that energy that unwanted energy, uncap the tube and allow that energy to come shooting out.”
That’s it.
It’s all about letting emotions flow through you.
The more you analyze it, the more you’re doing it wrong.
The more you practice it, the better you get.
You Might Also Like
Action Signals: Use Negative Emotions as a Call to Action
Stephen Covey on Developing Emotional Intelligence
Image by Jesus Solana.
 "Pinterest")
This is great JD, thanks.
I don’t think the ‘disengage head’ part is quite right – the forming of meaning is part of letting go (“identify the feeling”); but I know what Larry means.
It’s a good reminder that our thoughts, emotions, and body are related, but not the same thing.
It also reminds us how if we can identify feelings, it can help us make meaning, such as distinguish between stress and anxiety.
In a later part of the book, Larry says a lot of our negative emotions come from wanting approval, wanting control, and wanting to be safe, secure, and survive, and that we can learn to recognize these patterns with skill.
It’s like a game of “name that feeling”, but with some simple tips to improve emotional intelligence (though I don’t think anywhere he calls it out like that.)
“Lightness” is a great word to describe the feeling. I especially feel great when I not only let go, but when the letting go benefits someone. Right now I am wading through clearing some clutter at home and donating the stuff feels wonderful. Win-win situation.
Thank you JD. So inspiring.
Being lighter frees us up.
Good luck with de-cluttering.
I bet you feel lighter already.
I can’t help but to think of the backpack scene from Up in the Air:
“How much does your life weigh? Imagine for a second that you’re carrying a backpack. I want you to pack it with all the stuff that you have in your life… you start with the little things… I want you to stuff it all into that backpack. Now I want you to fill it with people…You get them into that backpack, feel the weight of that bag. Make no mistake your relationships are the heaviest components in your life. All those negotiations and arguments and secrets, the compromises. The slower we move the faster we die. Make no mistake, moving is living.”
Comments are closed.