He crumpled his napkin at dinner yesterday and let it drop onto his plate. With a gesture of surrender, he signaled that he was finished with his meal. I sat across the table from him, struck by the truth of his gesture: before we can fill our hands with something new, we must empty them first. This applies to our hearts as well.
I’ve often struggled to learn this simple lesson. Holding onto one thing too tightly prevents us from embracing anything else that comes our way. We see this played out in movies, where the drama of stepping into the unknown requires letting go of something familiar.
After my wife and I split, my six-month-old son and ex-wife moved out of state, which caused me a lot of emotional pain. We lost contact during his early childhood, and I held onto his memory tightly, fearing he would fade from my heart and mind. It took a while, but things eventually improved. However, I spent years missing out on crucial things that were right in front of me. It wasn’t until I recognized I was holding onto my past too tightly that I could move forward.
True healing can only occur when our hands are open, and our hearts are free. We can’t move forward if we’re holding onto stones or fisting the past.
This is why courage is necessary. We must have the will to let go and empty our hands, even if it means turning our backs on what we think might be missed opportunities. We must move forward on our journey. Our hearts will heal, and we will find new milestones.
So chin up! Put down your pain, and walk into the next chapter of your life with open hands and an open heart. Your transformation has already been written, and it’s waiting for you to embrace it.
