The return to the Inn.

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need.”

Lao Tzu

I spent this past weekend at a place that had some beautiful memories. I was hesitant to go as I was not sure how I would feel. But as always, facing hard things helps us move past them. Move forward. And so I went back to the Inn.

I knew it was time. Time to create new memories. Time to accept that life doesn’t always give you what you think you want. And there is always a reason for it even if you can’t see it. Trust that the reason is there. Trust you are on a path to better.

Memories are a funny thing. They shape us but that shape will depend on how we treat those memories. There are happy memories, sad memories, tragic memories… they are a part of our lives. Make us who we are or more importantly… more accurately… who we chose to be. They do not define us.

Memories are something that are only ever meant to be in the past. They are never meant to live with us in the present. Or the future. They are things that happened. We can carry them with us and hold them tight. Filling our emotional space to capacity. But they are not meant to be held. They are meant to be let go. To give them freedom to live in their own space.

Those memories I have from that Inn were ones that I did not want to let go. I wanted to hold them tight. But the further away time took me from that place, the more those memories started to suffocate me. Prevent me from moving forward and living freely.

Hanging on to those memories was only preventing me from making new ones. Filling up a space inside of me that needed to be free. Free to receive ideas and possibilities. Free to explore and learn. We think that letting those memories go, loosening our grip on them, means we are discarding them like they didn’t matter. Forgetting them. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We can never forget them. We should never forget them.

But we do need to create space to make new ones. New people, new places, new lessons. New happy.

Love and honor your memories by letting them go. Smile at them, love them, let them go… and go back to your Inn.