Letting Go of Painful Situations

I recently vacationed in the Florida Panhandle, in a beautiful seaside resort called Destin. The week was spent living in a spacious condominium, walking the beach, riding waves, sitting in the sunlight (and the moonlight), enjoying the gulf breezes, and getting really relaxed.

In fact, I can't remember a more relaxing vacation in my entire life. The location and the company certainly helped. And I was really ready to chill from work for a while, too. Anyway, for that week, I experienced a refreshing lack of mental and emotional pain.

Yes, I live a fairly serene life anyway, but the quality of my serenity this particular week was somehow turned up a couple of notches. I felt totally immersed in deep serenity, peace and comfort.

Coming back to reality after the vacation was difficult for me. It took about two days of working again to realize that I was actually feeling withdrawal pains! Withdrawal from that week of quality vacation time, when I let go, forgot about the clock, and just lived.

Of course, I realize it is a fantasy to think my life will ever be totally free from pain or stress. But it is OK, from time to time, for me to insulate myself from my sources of pain in a responsible, adult manner. That is called taking care of myself. In addition to vacations from real life and work life, I have also learned the art of taking "minute vacations" to temporarily withdraw, center, slow down, relax, and just let go. I never want to avoid pain or run from pain or ignore pain. I must deal with pain. However, getting away now and then is a responsible, conscious, healthy way of dealing with painful situations.

Sometimes, a particular situation is so painful or so toxic that I must permanently remove myself, physically or emotionally (or both) from the source of the pain to keep my sanity. Maybe the source of the pain is beyond my ability to really make a difference or change. If so, I can walk away, guilt-free, in order to take care of myself. But if I can make a difference, then it is OK for me to try. It is beneficial to resolve conflicts, negotiate, and improve a situation.

And the resolution will differ, depending on the situation. It only becomes insanity when I keep trying to fix a situation that cannot or will not be improved, despite my best efforts. Ultimately, I am the one who decides how to deal with pain-causing situations, learn from them, or get out of them, if required.

Dear God, grant me the clarity to see all the sources of pain in my life. If I cannot stop the pain, give me the courage to let go of painful situations and take care of myself to the best degree possible. Thank you for teaching me how to relax and enjoy serene, pain-free moments when they occur.

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