Letting It Be: A Path to Personal Freedom and Peace

“When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, Let It Be.” ~ Paul McCartney

The spiritual practice of letting it be is a path to personal freedom and inner peace. The simple phrase, “let it be,” highlighted by Paul McCartney’s inspirational song is key to living a life with less suffering and with more ease and joy. Moreover, it also builds higher awareness and helps us release the tight grip we have on our lives.  

Simply saying, the mantra, let it be, bypasses the mind and brings you into your heart center, a non-judgment zone. In this space of grace, you surrender to what is and release your need to control any person, situation, or outcome. In other words, you trust the divine unfolding of your life by leading with your heart as it whispers words of wisdom.  

You may often hear the phrase, “Just let it go,” when faced with a challenging person or situation. However, the phrases, let it go and let it be do not evoke the same energy or results. As soon as you need to let go of a person or situation, you have already gone down the rabbit hole of emotional reaction. To return to a state of equanimity or non-attachment, you must now detach or release your reaction that was triggered by that person or situation. By letting it be, however, you remain in continuous state of non-reaction and non-attachment as you go about your life.   

As a spiritual practice, letting it be, keeps me in a space of grace as I move through my daily life. It reminds me to simply notice what’s happening without judging or trying to control it. I repeat the mantra, “let it be,” when I find myself trying to control people or circumstances that are out of my control. One of the ways I know when I’m feeling out of control is when I observe myself micromanaging everyone and everything. This shows me that it’s time to pause, open my heart, and be present with what is happening in that moment.  

Adopting the practice of letting it be brings you into present awareness. In this highly aware state, you can view life from a soul perspective. Like a periscope in a submarine, you can lift your gaze out of the shadowy aspects of human consciousness you can’t control and obtain a more elevated, spiritual perspective. It reminds you that you are, first and foremost, a spiritual being navigating the sea of human processes and so is everyone else.  

The practice of letting it be also assists you in compassionately detaching from any expected result. Having expectations of yourself, others, or a situation leads to disappointment. Even though your expectations may be positive, you nevertheless impede the flow of energy by focusing on a specific outcome instead of trusting you will receive exactly what is in alignment with your soul’s path. When you have expectations of yourself or others, you can miss out on the many possibilities awaiting you in co-creation with the universe. 

Here are several ways to practice letting it be: 

1. Follow your heart and move through each day without trying to control everyone and everything. Your need to control tells you that it’s time to pause, open your heart, and check in with yourself. When you give way to your need to control, you give away your self-control. Focus on yourself instead of trying to micromanage others. You may not be able to control others; but you can control how you perceive the situation and respond to them with loving-kindness. Trust that they’re where they’re meant to be on their soul’s journey.  
2. Accept and be compassionate of another person’s soul journey. Refrain from judging other people or situations that you don’t understand. You cannot know another soul’s experience, even when that person is close to you such as a child or spouse. Accept that whatever choices they make are part of their soul’s path no matter what they look like at the time or how different they are from your own. See them as the spiritual beings they truly are.  Experiencing them in a more positive light will bring you into a state of grace, where you can accept them for who they are.  
3. Let yourself be wherever you are in your life. Life is full of ups and downs and most often doesn’t unfold in the way you want, or events don’t go as planned. Release any preconceived plans or agendas and embrace whatever comes your way. Surrender any expectations of how life should be and focus your intentions on creating how you want it to be. Trust the divine unfolding of your life even if it’s not as you expected or on your timeline. By allowing things to unfold as they are without resistance will bring you into a peaceful state of being.  
4. View your life from a higher perspective. See life’s challenges as opportunities for your soul growth even when they are challenging or painful. Let them show you how resilient you really are. Through your heart center, you access what it is you want or need for your soul’s progression here on Earth. It is here you tap into your soul blueprint, the template your soul created for your present life. Trust what is happening in your life is for your soul’s evolution. 
5. Let your thoughts be by simply noticing them move through your mind. Sit in an attitude of neutrality by dropping down into your heart space. By allowing your feelings to arise in this safe space, you increase your tolerance and resilience for whatever comes up and observe your experience from a detached loving place instead of from a place of reaction. Allowing your thoughts and feelings to emerge in this neutral zone, you realize that fear and love cannot occupy the same space. Stepping into this space of equanimity takes the charge off any experience and brings you into your source of divine power. 
6. Breathe and let it all be. Accept where you are at this moment, lean into the stillness and just be. Slow down and create space between one breath and another. Be mindful of your breath as you make a transition whether it’s between one thought to another, one movement to another, or one choice to another. As you slow down, pay attention to your breath. It provides the pause so you can become aware of what kind of energy you are bringing to the moment.  

Letting it be is one of the most powerful spiritual tools that brings us into a state of equanimity. With so much happening in our lives, knowing how to shift our energy into a calm, centered and neutral state is key to living a life without suffering and with more ease and joy. As the Chinese philosopher once said, “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” Here in this natural flow is where you will find grace and peace.