We’ve all heard the phrase “letting yourself go.” We all understand that people mean it to be a bad thing. But have we stopped to think about why?
Perhaps we see a frowsy, unkempt, depressed version of ourselves looming over us ready to take over if we “let ourselves go.” But the fact remains that this phrase implies that we are somehow a puppet of our wills.
Willpower is amazing, but at a certain point in life we discover it’s not enough to get us through the harrowing realities we so often face. White-knuckling leads to, well, arthritis of the knuckles. Powering through constantly will inevitably lead to burnout.
It's powerful to contemplate the phrase as implying a destination. “Wow she’s really let herself go…to Narnia.” “He’s really let himself go into his shadow work.” “She’s really let herself go into her imagination.”
Give yourself space to imagine where you are letting yourself go and see what happens to your fears.
Be Blessed, Blessed Be,
Rachel Joy