Absolutely Letting Go

Do you know how to juggle? Not many people do, which is a shame, because all of us spend most of our lives juggling.

We juggle our roles in life - parent, sibling, teacher, student, employee, employer, etc. We juggle our schedules, occasionally trying to be everywhere at once. We juggle our responsibilities and even our health. It's downright impressive how many things we attempt to keep in the air at the same time.

Yet, it's true that most of us don't know how to be successful jugglers. We wouldn't think of trying to fly an airplane without some instruction. Performing abdominal surgery would be out of the question without at least a few introductory lessons. Nevertheless, we willfully and enthusiastically endeavor to juggle our own lives every day, without knowing the first thing about the art of juggling.

I am far from an accomplished juggler, but I do know a thing or two about how to do it successfully. So, let me tell you the most important thing to remember about juggling. It's not how many "things" you are trying to juggle at once, nor how high in the air you can throw them. The most important thing about juggling is how quickly you can let go of whatever you have in your hands.

That's right. The secret to successful juggling is releasing what's already in your grasp, so that your hand is free to receive or catch whatever is coming next. That means, to be successful in your daily exercise of juggling your life, you must learn to let go of things promptly - the sooner, the better. As soon as you grab anything, you must be willing to release it.

Letting go is not easy. If you're like me, you want to hold onto things forever. We're creatures of habit, greatly comforted by familiarity. Most times, we'd rather linger over what's old than embrace what's new. The unknown scares us.

But, holding on too long is the worst thing you can do as a juggler. Imagine yourself juggling fresh eggs. Can you picture the mess you'd make if you tried to catch an "incoming" egg with a hand that already held one? It wouldn't be pretty, unless you intended to make an omelette.

If you have trouble letting go of things, I have three pieces of information for you. The first is a reminder. Your sense of humor is your best asset for letting go. In fact, laughter requires us to let go and trust the process.

Second, it is a fact that whenever we can let go, challenges are likely to take care of themselves much more often than we can imagine. Even if situations don't solve themselves, letting go gives us a brief respite and an opportunity to see a new perspective and perhaps some new options.

Third, when we are willing to let go, it is easier for others to help us. That's right. Letting go is a way to strengthen and encourage your support system.

As long as you're juggling, you might as well be the best at it you can be. Practice letting go frequently, and hold nothing back. Halfway measures will only make things worse.

Scrambled eggs, anyone?

Dr. Clifford Kuhn is both a psychiatrist and a comedian. He is professor of psychiatry at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. His book, The Fun Factor: Unleashing the Power of Humor at Home and on the Job , is available in bookstores and on his website. A professional member of the National Speakers Association, he offers entertaining workshops and presentations on humor skills and is available to anyone interested in enhancing performance, productivity and health by creating an atmosphere of fun. Results are guaranteed . Dr. Kuhn may be reached by phone (502-722-8732), e-mail (laffdr@aol.com) or by visiting his website (www.humorbeing.com).