I am sitting here in Winona, MN in a little coffee shop watching the rain fall on this damp Spring day. As I sit I am waiting for my daughter to finish one of her last final exams of her Junior year at Winona State University. The same message continues to challenge me these last few days, so I feel the need to share~

Currently I am re-reading the book “Live the Let-Go Life” and find it amusing that letting go is so hard to do for so many people, including myself, in this frantic pace of modern living we currently find ourselves in. Are you overwhelmed by anxiety, stress or worry? It really is no wonder with the unending daily to-do list’s, the race to stay relevant, social media and constant comparing, and the very real threat of terror in our every day lives. A perfect example of this is my life this past Monday and Tuesday before I left to come here to Winona. If you would have seen my to-do list… OMG… talk about stress and anxiety! Once again, I put way too many things on my plate. (I am super good at doing this!) Things that could have waited until my return on Friday or even into next week. Can you relate? When I finally got in the car with my daughter at 7:30 p.m. to drive 3 hours and 15 minutes to Winona, I could BREATHE and relax and enjoy my alone time with Sydnie and only Sydnie! This is what is important my friends!!!

God did not design us to live under stress. He called us to live the life of rest. It is our job to learn how to let go of stress and anxiety and see his grace flow persistently through every area of our life. This is a continuous practice for me. It is also why I have the word GRACE tattoo’ed on my forearm as a continuous reminder of God’s forever presence in my life.

“When we worry, we are saying, “I’ve got this!” When we let go of our worries, we are saying, “God, you’ve go this!”

Grace and peace always go together. If we learn to slow down and find avenues for peace and freedom we will live the LET-GO Life! Joanna Gaines talks about freedom beautifully in the latest issue of “Magnolia Journal”. She talks about the way a child understands the simplicity and sacredness of each and every season. How kids chase the summer sun and long days without pretense, and in a magical kind of way. If we as adults could look at seasons in our lives the same way… imagine the possibility, adventure, anticipation and peace we would feel. This kind of living is a choice! Freedom and peace are a worthwhile pursuit. Both make way for us to see our lives as they are meant to be seen and lived.

It is time right now to let-go!

Let go of:

~ judgement

~ worry

~ being unforgiving

~ comparing yourself to anyone

~ saying yes to everyone and everything

~ worrying about what others think of you

~ thinking you are not capable

~ control

~ filling your days with to-do’s

~ fear (especially fear of failure)

~ excuses

~ overwhelm

“Someone else’s opinion of you is none of your business” ~ Rachel Hollis

As women, especially, I believe letting go is extremely difficult. We have these high expectations of ourselves and ideas about what others think of us added to the mix. This becomes a dangerous combination. So today start practicing these 5 things:

1. Mind Control – Make the intentional choice to no longer let past issues and people who hurt you control you and your thoughts
2. Forgiveness – Forgive everyone in your past even if they are not sorry. Sometimes you just need to accept an apology you will never receive. This takes humility and courage!
3. Acceptance – Fully accepting the situation as it is without constantly wishing it would be different is the only way to getting on the road to being OK. It’s really in God’s hands! Also, start accepting people for who they are and believing them when they show their true character.
4. Stay present! – The present is all you have. What happens in the future isn’t here yet and we can’t go back and fix the past! Enjoy what is unfolding right in front of you right now!
5. Getting it all out – Express your emotions in a healthy way. I like to spend my time journaling about my thoughts, emotions and gratefulness. Do not hold on to grief, anxiety, pain and resentment without fully working on each situation gracefully.

I pray you find peace and grace and freedom and start living the Let-Go Life with me!