Posts tagged ‘Letting Go’

November 23rd, 2009

When to Say Good-Bye

Oprah’s announcement to end her long 25 year run talk show came as both a shock and a heartbreak to me. As one of her biggest fans and someone who still hadn’t had the luxury of seeing the Oprah Winfrey show live, I just didn’t feel like I was ready to say good-bye.

After my shock dissipated, curiosity set in. What would make a successful talk show host making millions of dollars an episode, suddenly want to say good-bye?

When Kate Gosselin said sayonara on Jon & Kate Plus 8’s final episode (another show I was sad to see go) she was a well of emotion and not ready to let go.

Yet, when I listened to Gayle King talk to Ms. Winfrey on Oprah radio, it seemed like she had no regrets.

I realized, then, that even in her decision to end the show, Oprah was inspiring.

One of the hardest things I think, is ending something good in your life because it’s not right for you. You may be happy, things might be going well, but like Oprah told Gayle on her radio show she knew it was the right decision because she felt it in her bones. How many people can honor a decision like that just because they knew it was the right thing to do?

People might say you’re crazy. There may be a million reasons why you shouldn’t do it, but if you feel pulled somewhere deep to take that leap or to end something that was once right for you but isn’t right now, maybe we need to listen to ourselves.  Maybe we should be like Oprah. Take a chance, believe, and have faith that we may not know the outcome of our choices but can trust our decisions to do what’s best for ourselves.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5o5ENK-jvM]

CategoryFacing Fears, Following your dreams | Comment1 Comment »

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June 9th, 2009

Now What?!

You’ve done it!  You’ve made that big decision, dealt with your feelings of impending fear and doom, and you’ve acted on it.  So now what?!  

In Martha Beck’s book Finding Your Own North Star, that period between your old and new self is where “square one” takes place.  So if you’re experiencing even more fear now than before and questioning if you made the right decision, know that you’re on the right path.  Square one is all about figuring out who you are now.  

Now that for example, you’re _____ (Pregnant, married, divorced or unemployed?  Fill in the blank with your change in identity here.), you might feel like you’re going through an identity crisis.  This decision may have caused a change in who you thought you were or who you thought you would become.  

The best way to deal?  

  1. Look forward not behind.  Remind yourself of why you made the decision in the first place and focus on that.
  2. Get protected.  Protect yourself by surrounding yourself with others who have gone through similar circumstances or read about them in books or online.  Find great friends and loved ones who you can rely on to vent during these uncertain times.
  3. Be kind to yourself.  Know that what you’re feeling is normal and realize that you’ll eventually get through it.  Most importantly, it’ll be a whole lot easier, the faster you’re able to accept yourself and your situation.

Carmel

CategoryInspirational Stories, job, Life | CommentNo Comments »

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June 5th, 2009

Giving It All Up Ain't So Bad

You know the saying, “One door opens as another one closes,” or “let go and let God?” In the moment of surrender, our once empty hands often become filled with a life better than we had planned. Yet, in moments of despair all we want to do is hold on tight, grasping anything and everything around us.

When there is nothing visible in front of us, we can either blindly and courageously take the next step or we can turn around and return to the path we’ve already crossed. Each step either gets us that much closer to our goals or that much further away.

Recently, I spoke to a friend who decided to finally let go of a job that was holding her back. Although she was applying to other positions left and right, it was only after she made up her mind to resign from the former position, that a better offer came along.

I’ve heard this story multiple times before. It’s the story of how when Oprah finally surrendered and let go of her expectations to be in The Color Purple, that she scored the role.  Or how a guest on her show said he “gave up” on his dream that Oprah would see his performance in Chicago and then Gayle King showed up instead.

Sometimes the right decision is the one that is the scariest, that pulls us uncomfortably out of our comfort zones and face our own insecurities and self-doubt. Only when we let go, surrender and have faith will that unseen force materialize supporting our next step towards our dreams.

Sunset

CategoryFacing Fears, Inspirational Stories | Comment2 Comments »

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