If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it’s yours.

If it doesn’t, it was never meant to be. ~ Anonymous

Our emotional, physical and spiritual health all rely heavily on this principle and our ability to apply it. I know. I’ve tested it out many a time.

This time last year I was confronted with the reality that I needed to leave New York. I’d dreamt of living there since I was a little girl and finally made it there the year before, but being in the middle of a career transition in one of the biggest, most expensive cities in the world, in the middle of an economic recession, it had become glaringly obvious that I needed to let go and go home for a while. At least until I was back on my feet with a steady job.

Something kept tugging at my heart telling me I needed to go home, which I found odd. When I left Texas at 23, I vowed never to return except to visit. I declared that the world is filled with far more interesting places to inhabit and since I’d already lived the first quarter of my life there, there was no need to go back.

But instead of listening to what my heart was trying to tell me, I continued pressing on and pressing on like the good little ballerina I was until a fracture in my foot literally stopped me in my tracks.

I was heartbroken. And upon finally coming to the conclusion that New York and I just weren’t a good fit at this point in time, I wrote my Dear John letter on the subway one night:

My love affair with New York isn’t over but like any intense relationship, sometimes you just need your space. And that’s the one thing New York lacks, is space. Like a good lover, New York feeds me in many ways but at the moment, he’s smothering me. I just need a breather.

A few months later, I found myself back at home in Texas. My friends and family were all shocked but my instincts proved to be right.

Since being home I feel like I’ve come full circle in many ways. I’ve rekindled old relationships and discovered new ones. But the thing that’s become most clear to me is my purpose.

New York was too loud for me to hear the whispers of my heart so by coming to a more relaxed and familiar place, I was able to finally listen and walk in the direction that I believe is my greatest destiny.

Sometimes our greatest treasures appear when we embrace the unknown.

The irony here is that along with my new business venture here in Texas and full-time writing career, not only will I be able to move back to New York at some point but I’ll be able to work from anywhere in the world. And for someone who has “Live in Europe” at the top of her bucket-list, it’s a dream come true! But, one could argue, none of this would have happened had I not had the courage to let go of what I THOUGHT my life should be.

This experience reminds me of my favorite Joseph Campbell quote:

We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.

There’s only so much we can control in life.

And it’s often hard to see the forest for the trees but if we can just trust our heart and let go, somehow, it all works out.

So how about you? Ever had to let go of something you couldn’t bear to lose only to find out life was better off once you let go? Have you ever had to let go of your own expectations in order to find the life that was waiting for you?

Photo courtesy of denaemusic.com

Love, Relationships

March 21, 2012

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