LET IT GO

By Cheryl Hansen

“Let it go, let it go. Can’t hold it back anymore.”

As the mother of a 6-year-old girl, I know all too well the popular “Frozen” anthem. She was barely 2 when the movie came out, but knew the lyrics almost instantly. Elsa, of course, is letting go of the fear that once controlled her. She’s letting go of hiding her true identity. She’s letting go of that uptight hairdo and modest gown—opting instead for a pretty hot look in her newfound, mountain-top freedom.

Letting go has been a regular theme of late (and not because my daughter still watches the movie 24-7). One of the YogaPod instructors focused on it during a recent class. She talked about letting go of how we define ourselves—that we can and do change and we should be open to it. She applied it to the class itself, reminding us that if we fell out of a pose or otherwise defied perfection (the horror!)—just let it go—it’s over, reset, try again, move on.

So this week, I’m considering what all I can let go. Here’s my list so far:

• Let go of the “should” and “have to” directives that crowd my brain, particularly when it comes to healthy eating and exercise. Just because one health nut condemns carbs, doesn’t mean I’m bad if I choose to eat them. I have to find what works for me (and what will continue to work for me). And carbs, oh glorious carbs, are part of my past, present and future. So there.
• Let go of the past: my mistakes (or someone else’s), missed opportunities, an ancient grudge or two—get over it. Seriously.
• Let go of control. Like a lot of working moms—and a lot of people in general—I have a lot of plates spinning at any given time. I find myself in a panic more often than not, trying desperately to keep all the plates spinning—like some poor circus clown with a big red frown. The thing is, half of those plates don’t even belong to me. It’s time to give them back to my kids, my husband, my dad, my third cousin (once removed), my first-grade teacher. You get the idea.
• And, much like Elsa herself, I need to let go of fear. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of someone finding out that I really don’t have my shit together. Did I mention fear of failure?

As the song says, “It’s time to see what I can do. To test the limits and break through. No right, no wrong, no rules for me. I’m free.”

I’m free.