Long before Elsa there was….Pop.

Two years ago, as we sat at the farm, M- was expressing her dissatisfaction with a 92% in a particular class. Pop has had quite a bit of experience dealing with perfectionism; he’s experienced Mom’s disappointment with college grades that would make many other college students weep with sheer joy. (And I might add: Mom finished her degree with a 4.0 even while working full-time and somehow keeping the Wimberley clan functioning. Go Mom!) This conversation was no different; his calm answer was such a typical Pop thing to say. He simply stated, with a gleam in his eye, “M-, it’s time to just let it go.” Because of his rather dramatic delivery of the message, and the swooshing of his hand as he emphasized those last three words, the room exploded into laughter. Once again, as many times before, Pop had spoken his simple wisdom into our lives—in the loving, comical manner that I will always cherish.

Let. It. Go. is now a regular mantra in our tiny space, as it was in my childhood home. There’s a great deal of wisdom packed into that little phrase! We often say it with laughter as we remember Pop’s dramatic performance on that particular day, but the mindset has served me well, as I’ve journeyed these last ten years towards the present. There are times in life, when our vision becomes clearer, and we see the things that are holding us back. These times are, all at once, the scariest and most freeing moments that we face. As I let go of religion, I was completely unsure of the outcome; I just knew I must follow my instincts concerning the truth for which I was searching. As I journeyed, ever so cautiously, out of the closet, I had to let go of people’s opinions and years of bad teaching, and learn to love me for me. Both were notably, the scariest events I’ve experienced thus far, but both were equally rewarding and joyous, as I began to rest in the peace and contentment that followed as I let go.

Our journeys are all unique, but we all face similar obstacles. We all face issues that hold us back; and just as I faced with religion and sexuality, life presents us with choices as we evolve and grow. We leave things as they are or we let go. We all know the definition of insanity that has been attributed to Einstein: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. My choice was difficult and it didn’t happen overnight, but I came to see that I wanted more out of this life than what my present situation could offer. I was quite intimidated by the uncertainty ahead, but I knew that leaving things as they were was no longer an option if I wanted more out of life.

My encouragement for all of us this brand new year of 2015 would be to let go of those things in our life that are holding us back, down, stuck. What is keeping us from living a freer, more peaceful, productive, and happy life? Jobs that are unsatisfying, toxic relationships, tiring habits, people’s opinions? Our own lists usually pop into our heads uninvited when we have conversations such as these. Remember: you are not alone; we really are all in this thing together. As Pop, and Elsa, would say: let this year be the year you just let it go.