Let Them Go

You never know how it's going to end. No matter how many relationships you start, you never seem to hone the ability to accurately predict the way it ends. Even the idea of anticipating the end of a relationship is a bit unsavory, kind of like knowing the date of your own death. Who really wants to know?

At the same time, however, consider this: What if you actually started the relationship with a happy ending in mind? It would require that you give serious consideration to your elderly years, your desired living conditions and yes, your eventual transition to the ancestral realm. There is a great movie called Big Fish. If you have never seen it, be sure to check it out asap. It's a film about an ordinary man with an extraordinary appreciation for storytelling. Like a child who enjoys a vivid imagination, he lives the story of his life with great enthusiasm and a sense of awe. And in the end, imagination and reality converge at the time of his death.

The end is inevitable. Nothing endures forever. The question, however, is How do you WANT it to end? In other words, define happily ever after. Invest a little imagination into your vision of a happy ending so that you can feel the inspiration drawing you closer to it everyday. How do you really want to spend your golden years? Is the person you're with today part of the picture? Does your partner really have what it takes to be a main character in the amazing story of your life? If so, then tell that story with vivid detail and imagination. If not, then let them go. Don't cast them aside, mind you. But remember what the opening lines of the Holy Odu IrosunIwori:

Let us do things with joy
Those who wish to go, let them go
Those who wish to stay, let them stay

The journey of life is an amazing, epic tale of adventure, challenges and opportunities. The way you show up in that story will ultimately become your legacy. It is your responsibility to populate that story with the right people, who are really capable of adding value to your final contribution. In order to heal your relationship - and more importantly, your life - heal your story. Then live the medicine that will heal your life and the lives of those you're destined to serve.