It's Motivating Monday and I'm linking up!
Have you met Amanda over at Enchanting Havoc yet? She is fantabulous and the creator of Motivating Mondays :) Be sure to check out her site and feel free to link up and motivate too!
As most of you know, the last few months of 2010 were difficult ones for me. During that time I was given a poem to read called "Letting Go". Unfortunately, I'm not sure who wrote it so I am unable to credit the author :( If you know who wrote it, please let me know!
I hope it motivates and encourages you as much as it did me:
Letting Go
To let go does not mean to stop caring
It does mean that I can't do it for someone else
To let go is not to cut myself off
It is the realization that I can't control another
To let go is not to enable
But to allow learning from natural consequences
To let go is to admit powerlessness
Which means the outcome is not in my hands
To let go is not to try to change or blame another
It's to make the most of myself
To let go is not to care "for"
But to care "about"
To let go is not to "fix"
But to be supportive
To let go is not to judge
But to allow another to be a human being
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes
But to allow others to affect their destinies
To let go is not to be protective
It's to permit another to face reality
To let go is not to deny
But to accept
To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue
But instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires
But to take each day as it comes, and cherish myself in it
To let go is not to criticize and regulate anybody
But to try to become what I dream I can be
To let go is not to regret the past
But to grow and live for the future
To let go is to fear less
And love more
To let go does not mean to stop caring
It does mean that I can't do it for someone else
To let go is not to cut myself off
It is the realization that I can't control another
To let go is not to enable
But to allow learning from natural consequences
To let go is to admit powerlessness
Which means the outcome is not in my hands
To let go is not to try to change or blame another
It's to make the most of myself
To let go is not to care "for"
But to care "about"
To let go is not to "fix"
But to be supportive
To let go is not to judge
But to allow another to be a human being
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes
But to allow others to affect their destinies
To let go is not to be protective
It's to permit another to face reality
To let go is not to deny
But to accept
To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue
But instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires
But to take each day as it comes, and cherish myself in it
To let go is not to criticize and regulate anybody
But to try to become what I dream I can be
To let go is not to regret the past
But to grow and live for the future
To let go is to fear less
And love more
***Interesting note: as I was typing out the poem I wrote the second line incorrectly. I added the word not so that it read "It does NOT mean that I can't do it for some else". Guess it's something for me to look at more closely, hmmm....***
That is probably one of the most needed to read poems for me that I've seen in a LONG time. I have such a hard time letting go of anything and I always feel like I have to be in control.... and that goes for not only the people in my household, but my family as well. When my brother's messing up I'm trying to control and fix and there's just so many places that this poem hit home with. Thank you for linking up and posting this, Jenn <3
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this poem Jennifer. It's sentiment is exactly what I need to hear and reflect on. I was curious and discovered that the author is Dr. Margaret J. Rinck, a psychologist in Cincinatti, Ohio. If you don't mind I would love to share this poem on my own page.
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