Letting Go

My father passed away 26 years ago and upon his death I asked for a birthstone ring that he wore for as long as I could remember. It was on the hand that I often held as a little girl. Shortly after his death I took the ring to a jeweler and had the gold melted and reshaped into a ring that I could wear as a remembrance of him and our shared November birthdays over the years. I remember him as a gentle, loving, sensitive father and leader who had a wicked sense of humor. I lost the citrine stone in that ring about six months ago and have been perseverating about it ever sense. About 15 years ago I visited Ireland for the first time-the traditional discover your roots trip-and felt very connected to the beauty of the people and land as well as the golden tones of Jameson Irish Whiskey. While there, I purchased a gold medallion that was a replica of a druid worship stone combining the ancient circular patterns of continuity of the druid spirits with the first Christian symbol of a cross marking the impact of St. Patrick's arrival about 400 AD. For me this symbolized my homeland and a universal spirituality that spoke to my belief system. I have worn that necklace virtually every day and night sense. While walking to the Waterfront here in Cape Town yesterday, that necklace was ripped off my neck by a young robber. I was really upset at loosing this precious object until I started thinking of some of the lessons learned on this journey. The particular lesson that kept coming to me was the one about "letting go". The ring is not my father and the medallion is not my heritage. The problem with possessions is that we want to protect them and hang on at all costs. The same can be said for money, fame, and power-many of the causes of toxic leadership. And what about ideas and perceptions to which we form attachments:prejudice, narrow mindedness,singular interpretations? I am reminded once again that focusing on the small stuff gets in the way of focusing on the right stuff and that letting go is the only way to let new insight come. What might you be holding on to that is holding you back?