“We can’t be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don’t have something better.” – C. JoyBell C.
I am in a whirlwind of back to school with my junior in high school, becoming adjusted to having my
son away at college, and as many of you know that read this letter each month, I had a new baby. While my baby doesn’t have legs, a mouth or arms, it is as needy as your average baby—maybe even more so because this baby cost me money. This baby took a lot of courage to have. This baby is my new business. Together with my niece, we have opened an infrared heated Pilates/yoga/barre and hip-hop (yes, HIP-HOP—SO FUN!!) studio. We started this business with a singular mission: to provide a space that is most importantly safe and fun. A place where you can sweat, laugh, dance and create a stronger, more confident, leaner version of yourself.
We were charged with that mission, and thought that was all folks needed to hear to come and bust open our doors. That was naïve because there are a lot of business and financial aspects involved in providing a space that everyone loves. This letter is not a complaint; in fact, every day I am enjoying what I do (even the numbers part of it). It is simply a reflection. I am reflecting on the fact that I am perhaps holding onto too many things, which makes focusing on my “baby” difficult, and reflecting on the question, When is it time to let go?
My son who recently left for college had to let go of the town he grew up in, the wrestling team of brothers that had been with him since fifth grade, and his family. But by letting go, he made room for a myriad of new experiences. My daughter just gave up swimming (she wasn’t very good, so it was fine), and has filled that time by joining soccer. By doing so, she has made a whole bunch of new friends and is learning a whole new set of skills. Sometimes, we hold onto things for too long, simply because we are comfortable, and we become stagnant.
I have learned that to truly experience new things, you need to release the old—an old job you once loved that perhaps you were “retired” from, or an old relationship that once was supportive and fun but has become jealousy based or stagnant, or an old home that has become too big for you. And then there’s letting go of a philosophy that no longer serves you. Perhaps your philosophy in your 20s and 30s was money focused, but now you have become financially secure and still find yourself chasing the “green.” Stopping that chase and pushing yourself to make time to connect with loved ones should now be your focus.
As the saying goes, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” I think to find breathtaking moments, it is critical that we let go of some of the “old” in our life. Sometimes, like it says in the aforementioned article “Leaping into the Unknown … My 60s!” you may need to let go and JUMP!
Malama Pono!
Kelly Martinsen, Publisher
