Letting Go: How to Approach Life with Ease

There are so many things that are out of our control. Other’s thoughts, actions and emotions. Unexpected events. Time. So many things. But if we focus on all the things we can’t change, is that productive? Probably not. Maybe letting go is the way to go.

Check out the Law of Least Effort, from Deepak Chopra’s Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, and understand how letting go is the key:

So, what is the law of least effort?

The law of least effort suggests that we can end up succeeding more in life when we approach things with ease. Often, what creates tension and blockage in our lives is our need to control everything. It could be to cultivate a feeling of safety; creating a comfort zone or even sometimes making excuses for ourselves. Once we start to let go of our need for control, we’ll be able to accomplish more.

This law is anchored by 3 main principles: acceptance, taking responsibility and defenselessness.

1. Acceptance

No matter how things turn out, accept them. This principle is the first step to transformation. It’s not about not caring about what happened. It’s also not about doing the bare minimum with no remorse. It is simply accepting the outcome regardless because you can’t change it. There is no point in dwelling over how things should’ve or could’ve been either because they simply aren’t. This mindset will unload the weight off your shoulders.

 2. Taking responsibility

Hold yourself and others accountable, but with a clear and compassionate mindset. After accepting what happened, identify what went wrong and work on it. You don’t have to blame anyone, including yourself, or come up with excuses to make progress. All blame does is make us hold grudges and distract us from taking action to improve and learn. So, stay focused on the main goal and the things you can actually do to get there.

3. Defenselessness

We don’t have all the answers. Allow those around you to guide you, too. There will be times where your point of view is correct, and other times where it isn’t. Have an open enough mind to sit back and listen to others without preparing a response in your head. Allow yourself to be taught, and not just teach. Being defenseless is where we can cultivate the most awareness of ourselves and everything else; it’s how we can truly thrive.