The Practice of Release
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“...a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away…” - Ecclesiastes 3:6
“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” - Alan Cohen
“Getting your house in order and reducing the confusion gives you more control over your life. Personal organization somehow releases or frees you to operate more effectively.” - Larry King
As summer starts to usher in autumn, we are reminded of the beauty and importance of releasing things. Release is essential to self-care. We all have dreams, relationships, thoughts, expectations, and things in our life we need to release. When we choose to live with a tight fist or an anxious grip instead of with open hands, we become powerless and easily overcome by what we won’t let go of.
Release is defined as “setting free from captivity, unbinding, unchaining, detaching, or allowing something to move, act, or flow freely.” While we often think of releasing as letting go of negative things like unforgiveness, bitterness, and grudges, we can also release (or unleash) grace, kindness, and patience to ourselves and other people. Too often we withhold affection and generosity when it would be more beneficial to release them. Releasing frees up your hands to claim what is better and your heart to receive what is healing. God is involved in this process, and you can invite Him further by asking Him to show you what or whom you need to release. You can open space in your life for the wind of the Spirit to freely move about.
An exercise in letting go.
Use a pencil to trace your two hands on paper—side by side. Write “Keeping” above one traced hand and “Releasing” above the other. Ponder and identify people, places, ideas, habits, and things that contribute to your growth, maturity, purpose, and fulfillment. Write, draw, or make a collage of those things inside your Keeping hand. Now ponder and identify people, places, ideas, habits, and things that can be destructive, hinder your goals, or limit your potential. Write, draw, or make a collage of those things inside your Releasing hand. You can also modify this exercise in the following ways:
Trace a hand for each of the sub categories: people, places, ideas, habits, and things.
Identify what blessings you need to Release and what lessons learned from previous trails you need to Keep.
Use this exercise as a seasonal self-assessment to monitor areas of growth and weaknesses, and share it with an accountability partner.
Identify what you need God to Release and Keep in your spiritual life and use this to direct your prayers and spiritual discipline.
An exercise in creating space and order.
Our external environment has a direct effect on our inner world. A cluttered, messy, chaotic, and unclean space can reflect our inner state and also indicate our denial of such inner disorganization and disharmony. Disorganized spaces can also create inner unrest, inattentiveness, noise, and chaos, making it hard to even notice the things we hold too tightly to. Sometimes our environment is so far from what we need it to be for rest and function that we become overwhelmed into paralysis and we go deeper into avoidance and denial. Try the following to help you create space and order in your life.
Set aside 15-30 minutes daily to tackle specific sections of your bedroom, office, kitchen, or bathroom. Use the time to clean, declutter, and organize larger tasks into mini-task increments. For example, instead of cleaning out your entire dresser, commit to working on one drawer at a time. As you take on that one drawer, decide what you want to keep, replace, or release. Tip: If you have not used or worn an item for more than two years, release it.
Enjoy the space you are decluttering, cleaning, and organizing. Be attentive to how you feel physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually when you spend time in that space. Your inherent dignity is worthy of living and working in a safe, organized, functional, and beautiful space. Regardless of your socioeconomic status, slowly create a space that you feel proud and comfortable to spend time in. Release your low sense of worth and esteem and, instead, claim your honor and beauty.
Create emotional and spiritual space, too. Internal decluttering and organizing is just as necessary as our external environment when seeking to create space, safety, beauty, and harmony. With pen and paper, take inventory of your beliefs about yourself and the world and decide what you want to release, keep, exchange, or acquire.
Release your old dreams and live in the moment by creating or updating a dream that aligns with the more experienced, learned, and wise you. The dreams and aspirations of our childhood and youth may have elements that are worth keeping, but be free to dream new dreams and have new visions.
Freedom in Release
We become burdened by what we hold captive. Sometimes even when we try to release—or directly after releasing—fear makes us doubt if our decision was sound. After all, we grow accustomed to our burdens, and the void from letting go can seem unbearable. But after the initial fleeting pain of letting go, you will experience freedom and joy that propel you to move forward in a healthier direction.
Further Reading
You can find more from Teriz Michael and Teresa Pressley in their recently released book, Self-Care Is Scriptural. Purchase on Amazon or wherever books are sold.
