Letting Go

Did you ever have one of those nights when you couldn't sleep?  I had one last week.  I fell asleep just fine, but within an hour I was wide wide awake and unable to fall back to sleep!

Finally, I got up, had something to eat, read the paper, but still; wide awake!

Then I remember what worked one other time. 

I tried to stay awake!

So I went back to bed and tried to stay awake, just relaxed and tried NOT to sleep. I quickly fell asleep and slept soundly till morning.

Many things in my life are like this for me.  If I try too hard, if I struggle to make something happen, it gets harder.  But if I relax and go with the flow; good results!

 Use the Force, Luke. Let go, Luke. Luke, trust me. ... The spirit of Obi Wan Kenobi

Star Wars, eastern religions and philosophies, western religions, native cultures, all tell us to let go, to trust in a force greater than ourselves, to trust in other people, and yet...

I want to let go, I want to have that faith. I see the results when I do, but something holds me back.  What holds me back is the what ifs.....

What if my family, my patients, my fellow nurses, my friends, make poor decisions, what if they don't take care of themselves? And yet I must trust in other people, I must trust in a Force greater than I can understand, I must have faith, there really is no other choice.

My best writing comes when I let go, when I let ideas flow, when I let my emotions out.

So does my best living.