My friend Christine Van Loo, once named the Female Acrobatics Athlete of the Decade, is a 7-time National Champion in Acrobatic Gymnastics. As evidenced from the pictures below, Christine can do things I can’t even imagine.
Embedded in the beauty, grace, and athleticism of Christine’s performance is a fundamental principle of life: hang on to what you ought to hang on to and let go of what you ought to let go of.
Let’s consider the first half of that principle: hang on to what you ought to hang on to. As we journey through life, we hang on to all sorts of things: purpose, memories, beliefs, relationships, experiences, possessions, values, and habits. Hanging on to some of these items enriches and enhances our lives:
- Hanging on to valuing honesty.
- Hanging on to the habit of regular exercise.
- Hanging on to the belief that all people deserve respect.
But we can also hang on to what we ought to let go of, can become a barrier to a more enjoyable, a more flourishing, and effective life. Imagine the detriments to hanging on to what we ought to let go of.
- Hanging on to an unhealthy relationship.
- Hanging on to possessing 103 shirts when we never wear half of them.
- Hanging on to a habit of sarcasm.
Realize that sometimes:
- we don’t feel like hanging on to what we ought to hang on to,
- we feel like hanging on to what we ought to let go of.
Reflection:
- Identify 3 things I am hanging on to that I ought to hang on to. What are the benefits to hanging on to these things?
- Identify 3 things I am hanging on to that I ought to let go of. How are hanging on to these barriers to a more fruitful or meaningful life?
As you go through the following week, see what you are experiencing through the lens of hanging on.
From our Top 20 team…Kevin Brennan, Willow Sweeney and Tom Cody…who are hanging on to our mission to provide you with meaningful ways to enhance your relationships, experiences, and potential.
Paul Bernabei
Director
Top 20 Training
paul@top20training.com
