The power of letting go

I love decluttering. But letting go of books … that’s hard for me. 

Especially poetry books!

I love poetry. It’s one of the things that truly lights me up. (As anyone who’s seen me speak a poem can confirm ✨) 

But when I felt the call to move my home from England to the Netherlands in 2020, I had a strong urge to let go of everything I no longer needed. 

I glanced at my bulging bookcase of treasured poetry books. 

Hmmm. This was going to be tricky. 

I knew if I opened each book to see if I wanted to keep it … I would be lost. 

My heart would fall for the poems that drew me in. And my mind would churn out ALL the reasons why I might need it someday. 

What to do? 

An idea from Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, popped in. 

I could see which books ‘sparked joy’ in me. And which didn’t. 

So, one Saturday afternoon, I pulled out all my poetry books and laid them across the floor. In rows, spine up.

Without thinking about it, I touched each one. How did it feel in my body? Light? Joyful? Heavy? Or meh? 

I pulled out those that gave me a boost. 

As the new row grew, I felt my heart perk up. These were my real treasures. 

The ones that truly brought me alive. 

I counted the ‘keepers.’ One didn’t resonate. Not an energy match. 

Okay. Off to the other pile with you. 

It was striking how clear that alignment signature was. 

No need for stories. No interpretations. Simply trusting what brought me alive. 

And lovingly letting go of the rest. Grateful for the gifts they’d given me. 

I kept 80 out of 220 poetry books. They sparkled and shone on my newly spacious shelves. 

The rest I sold to a wonderful local independent bookshop with a great poetry section. 

I imagined them finding new homes with new readers who would cherish them, giving them a new lease of life. 

The same process applies to finding your unique message.

The gift that only you can bring to the world. 

It’s easy for your voice to get buried under the wonderful (and not-so-wonderful) noise out there. 

How do you come back to the core truth that is truly yours?

That lights you up? That sparks joy for you and others? 

To find your true voice, let go of everything that’s not that. 

Everything that does not bring you fully alive. 

Declutter. Unsubscribe. Unplug. Simplify. 

Create space to listen.

The silence may be deafening at first. 

But the clues for the life that is truly yours will be revealed …
… in the treasures you keep. 
… in the conversations you want to continue. 
… in the secret voice that’s been waiting all along for your attention. 

Your voice matters. 

The world needs the wisdom that only you can share. 

What’s your message?

And how are you getting on with getting it out there?

I love holding space for others to allow their true voice to emerge. 

Do you feel like your voice has been hidden under old blocks, distractions, energies that don't bring you alive?

If you'd like some extra support to reclaim and share your uniqueness, let's have a chat. I'd love to get to know you and help you reclaim your treasures! :-)

And here’s a special poem to help you let go of all that no longer serves you.

She Let Go

She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of fear. She let go of the judgments. 
She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.
She let go of the committee of indecision within her.
She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons. Wholly and completely, 
without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a book on how to let go. She didn’t search the scriptures.
She just let go.

She let go of all of the memories that held her back.
She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. 
She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn’t promise to let go. 
She didn’t journal about it. 
She didn’t write the projected date in her day-timer.
She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. 
She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. 
She just let go.

She didn’t analyse whether she should let go. 
She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter. 
She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. 
She didn’t call the prayer line. 
She didn’t utter one word. She just let go.

No one was around when it happened. 
There was no applause or congratulations. 
No one thanked her or praised her. 
No one noticed a thing. 
Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort. There was no struggle. 
It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad. 
It was what it was, and it is just that.
In the space of letting go, she let it all be. 
A small smile came over her face. 
A light breeze blew through her.
And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.

Reverend Safire Rose