Letting Go

"Accept what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be." ~Sonia Ricotti

The mantra above in the graphic image by Tilopa is one that I have memorized and say to myself when I am facing uncertainty.  It is perfect for now.  
 
I can let go of all of the things I might have done to prepare for what is happening now – we all have our list of what we wished we had done from stocking up on supplies to selling stocks.  This helps me to know I did the best I could and to just let go of whatever happened in the past– it doesn’t help me now to beat myself up for things I might have done. I cannot change the past.
 
The most important line for me is to focus on is to let go of what may come.  I have mastered worrying about all of the things in life that might go wrong in life and I could easily spin out of control with Covid-19, but I am not. I have my moments of worry and fear like all of us, but for the most part this mantra has brought me peace.  Do you know what I have learned over the years?  That most of the things I imagined could go wrong never happen and the things I didn’t worry about, like pandemics, are the ones I get to work with as opportunities for growth.  I am sure many of us never worried about this, but we are now all facing it together. The point is that worrying doesn’t make things better or stop them from occurring.  For me worrying actually makes things worse because my mind can always picture the worst possible scenario and then I panic. So, the best thing for me to do is to take a deep breath and exhale longer than I inhaled and tell myself to let go.  I do this for as long as it takes me to get calm.
 
I love the lines “Do not try and figure anything out. Don’t try to make anything happen.”  I like to be in control and the thing is with Covid- 19 and most things in life, I am not in control.  The only thing I am in control of is my response to any given situation.  So, I am taking all of the precautions and trying to make the best of each possible day.  I am doing this by staying engaged with others virtually, sharing my ideas in blogs, reading, exercising and being creative with photography and painting.
 
After the first steps in the mantra, I then really focus on resting and relaxing in the present moment.  It really all comes down to living in the present moment.  I might not like what is happening, but it is, so my goal is to make the most of each moment, to accept this moment as it is.  Most of the moments in each day are really great and if we focus on the positive, we can persevere. We are all in this together and I hope this mantra can bring you a little peace like it does for me. May we be the role models for peace and compassion.
 
What do you do during challenging times?
 
How are you bringing peace into your life during the pandemic?