We teach what we need to learn. So as part of an upcoming Fall Mindfulness Series, I have been working on a class focused on the Liberation of Letting Go. Ha! Easier said than done.

Granted, there are things that have been easy, even fun, to let go of. Emphasis on things. Older or never worn (or worn but never me) clothing is at the top of that list. Along with old make-up, old papers, and a select number of never read books. Before moving on to areas of greater challenge, I wanted to examine the process of letting these things go and – since the title of my class promises it – the ensuing liberation.

With clothes, the process is most often driven by getting new things. So perhaps that’s true with bigger things as well. New thoughts, ideas, concepts entering my space, making it tighter, and also raising questions about what remains relevant. As with the closet, if my world is becoming filled with more color, do I still want five black turtlenecks?

The other part of the process, turning to the books, has to do with beliefs. It’s really not the books I’m letting go of. It’s the belief that I will read them one day, that they have great importance, that I should read them one day, that I am missing some crucial wisdom if I don’t. And underneath that, is the belief that I am not enough as I am, that I am not wise enough, evolved enough, developed enough, conscious enough – you get the idea.

To address a limiting belief, Tara Brach suggests the question, “It’s real, but is it true?” The power in that question is the respect and compassion for deeply-held beliefs, many of which arose to protect us in some way. So there’s a tenderness towards that. And with that more open heart, can we look at, “Is it true?” Or “Is it still true?”

Here is a stunning example of what happened to Lauren Allred when she became brave enough to test her old belief by singing Never Enough on Britain’s Got Talent. Notice how you feel and how wildly enthusiastic everyone is. Yes, she’s an amazing vocalist singing a very powerful song. But another reason is that every one of us identifies with the restrictions a limiting belief can impose on our lives, and the tremendous expansion letting that go can bring. Her life grows exponentially right before our eyes.

So let’s all become a little more curious, a little more experimental. More willing to say, “I don’t know if that’s true now, let me play around a bit and see.” And that’s where the freedom lies, in that playful experimentation.

Here’s to your facing the fear and finding the freedom in letting go!