Recently, I was watching a DVD of Hale Dwoskin, author of The Sedona Method.  As I was listening to him speak about “letting go” of feelings rather than attaching ourselves to them, a thought ran through my mind.  “What would I be left with if I let go of my feelings?” 

Funny thought, but this was the truth of my experience at that moment.  And, in fact, the accompanying feeling was fear.

At that moment, I took a breath and turned inward for the answer, asking the same question that had just run through my mind.

This is when the answer of “being” came to me.  I would “be” in life.

Remember, you are not your feelings.  You are the one who experiences your feelings.  So, if you were to let go of these, what is left is your essence, simply in the act of being. 

We get so attached to our feelings that we think that we ARE our feelings.  It is even in our language, when we say, “I am sad,” rather than, “I feel sad.”  We think that our feelings represent the entirety of who we are.

Because of this attachment, we may be afraid to “let go” of our suffering, because, probably at some other-than-conscious level, we may fear that letting go of our suffering will lead to non-existence.

But, actually, you’d still be here if you let go of your suffering.  In fact, you’d be able to more fully and exuberantly experience the here-and-now, wouldn’t you?

Hale also explained that once this “letting go” occurs, we are left with a feeling that resembles the lightness of a laugh.

Perhaps this is why a baby’s laugh has always been so grounding, filling and joyous for me.  It is the purity and a joy that I adore–it is the reflection and reminder of our essence! 

Pam Garcy, PhD

P.S.  If you’d like to learn more about a baby’s laughter, please check out this article in Parent’s Magazine (also available on Parents.com).  I was honored to be interviewed on the topic by author Paige Weiser:

Happy Baby! How Smiles Develop: About 12 Months: A Sense of Humor
“Surprise is a big element in making babies laugh at 12 months,” says Dr. Garcy. “Put your baby on your knees, sing a song, and then gently let her drop a …

 

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