April 18, 2015 – A long time ago, during a low point, someone advised me: “When you come to the end of a rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
I remember snapping back: “When you come to the end of a rope, you should let it go and find another one!”
Are you feeling as though you’re at the end of your rope? There can be many reasons why you might: You have a job that’s not fulfilling, a relationship that feels as though it needs to end, or having to take care of a too-large house or garden.
Here’s a practice for you, if you are feeling as though you are at the end of your rope:
Imagine the ‘rope’ in your life that you’re hanging on to. Imagine how tired your arms are, how exhausted you feel, how you long for someone to come and help you back up the rope to where you were. Feel your loneliness: there’s only you there, hanging on to that rope, legs dangling over the abyss. Maybe even cry a bit.
Now, instead of trying t
o tie a knot so you can climb back up the rope, imagine letting go!
You realize that to hang on to a rope when your arms are aching is just plain silly. There’s no danger – everything around is soft and slow and warm and lovely. You’re tumbling gently through a safe, interesting world that is totally unexpected, but still your very own, because it’s your own creation. Think Alice’s rabbit hole adventure.
Close your eyes and allow the best experience imaginable to come to you. You might find yourself with a whole new way of looking at something that you were previously stuck on.
Now write it down. First, describe the rope you’ve been holding onto and the misery and ache you feel. Then describe the wonder of what occurs when you let go of the rope. Think outside the box – in fact, maybe nothing happens at all. Maybe everything that you were afraid would happen when you let go disappears. Maybe you simply feel relief.