{"id":408,"date":"2015-03-20T06:50:26","date_gmt":"2015-03-20T10:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/?p=408"},"modified":"2015-03-20T16:04:22","modified_gmt":"2015-03-20T20:04:22","slug":"week-27-let-the-balloon-go-what-are-you-holding-on-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/?p=408","title":{"rendered":"Week #27 – “Let the balloon go…” (What are you holding on to?)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\""Let<\/a>

“Let it go…” (Photo credit: Grace Church)<\/p><\/div>\n

Week #27 – “Let the balloon go…” (What are you holding on to?)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I want to be honest with you…last week was a pretty tough week for me. \u00a0My birthday is not always my favorite day of the year — and because Rob and I were born so close together, this was the first birthday I ever celebrated without him. \u00a0It was hard to grow a year older knowing he won’t ever catch up…and all the while I heard his voice in my head saying, “Let the balloon, Grace. \u00a0Just let the balloon go…”<\/p>\n

I spent a good many of my adult years worrying over things…real things, made up things, hypothetical things, future things, past things, never-gonna-happen things. \u00a0Dr. Suess’ book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” did little to prepare me for “Oh, the Things You Can Worry About!”<\/p>\n

This drove Rob crazy. \u00a0A) Because when I was with him I was supposed to be having the best time ever (how could you not?)! \u00a0And B) Perhaps it was because his spirit was wise beyond his years and knew that time was short.<\/p>\n

As I started to grow up and deal with my worry, I read about a technique that was good for those 2am worry sessions: you imagine the worries you are holding as helium-filled balloons. \u00a0And one-by-one you release them and visualize them floating high up into the sky. \u00a0I must’ve shared this with Rob at some point — because he knew when I was holding on to a “worry balloon.” \u00a0And he would often say to me as he watched me drift away in concern, “Let the balloon go, Grace. \u00a0Just let the balloon go.”<\/p>\n

Do you have things you are holding on to today that you want to let go?<\/strong> \u00a0Anger, resentment, grief, loss, a mistake, a regret, a secret, or simply a missed opportunity you are punishing yourself over? \u00a0Or maybe it’s physical things like clutter that is standing in your way…or toxic relationships that are holding you back?<\/p>\n

Your assignment for this week:<\/strong> What better time than the first days of Spring to open up space for new possibilities?! \u00a0This weekend — find a release ritual to help you “let those balloons go” and open your hands to new and exciting possibilities. \u00a0Here are some ideas:
\n(But whatever you do PLEASE DO NOT release real balloons into the air…they\u00a0are only a metaphor! \u00a0And otherwise very bad for the environment!)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n