Holding On and Letting Go

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and hanging on.” Henry Ellis

How true is that? The challenge then becomes specifically who and what do I hold onto? Who and what do I let go of? Life would be much simpler if we knew exactly what is meant to stay and what is meant to go. It’s true for almost everything; feelings, loved ones, jobs, endings, hopes, and dreams. 

What is the best way to make these decisions? If only I could just get a glimpse of the secret ending in this story called, “My Life”. What is it supposed to look like when all is said and done? What was I born to do? What should my circle look like? In some ways it seems that if I knew then maybe the letting go and the holding on would be clearer. Unfortunately the older I get the more I realize that the  journey most likely determines the end. The choices I make while at times feeling almost blindfolded as I move through life determine my end. And that scares me. Do I trust my gut, my intuition? Do I trust feelings that I feel intensely with every part of my being? Or do I dig deep for logic and reason and do what makes sense? What do I even want my end to look like? 

Ellis’ quote describes the art of living as a fine mingling of holding on and letting go. Art is beautiful and it is a process. I suppose the key lies in trusting the process and just living life the best you can. And when all else fails it helps to remember that if we love something and let it go and it comes back, it is ours to hold onto. If it doesn’t, it never was.