Reflections on release

My first post of the new year is not new. Actually, I first explored this metaphor a few years ago while thinking about the process of transition.

A word of warning/disclosure: some of the language is a bit crude. And please forgive the euphemistic spelling. But sometimes you've got to use the perfect vehicle to deliver the message.

Reflections on Release:

As we consume food, our bodies extract whatever they need in the way of calories, energy, vitamins, fiber, fat and other key elements requires to keep the machine operating. Our bodies are wise enough to store what might be needed later (sometimes too much, but that’s another issue).

The rest comes out of our bodies through evacuation of the bowels. Feces.

In other words (and I ask patience here for my indelicacy), shyt.

Everyone knows the feeling of a good shyt. It’s release. It’s relaxation. And it’s totally necessary to keep functioning.

So why do we so often hold on to our shyt? You know, the things in life that aren’t good for us, the waste that’s left after our experiences good or bad, the debris that takes up space after we’ve extracted all the learning we’re going to get?

You know what it’s like to hang on to your shyt too long. You feel uncomfortable. Bloated. It takes up space and limits the ability to take in new nourishment.

Hanging on to shyt can slow you down. Distract you. Eventually, it will become painful. And eventually, it will find its way out.

Sometimes we think we don’t have to time to let go of our shyt. Got too much other stuff to do. So we wait. But it gets uncomfortable, so we make a quick pit-stop and drop a little bit of the stinky stuff. And we feel a little bit better. Unfortunately, the rest of the shyt is there, still taking up space, creating gas and other discomfort. Nagging us, reminding us that you still need to get rid of this shyt.

And there’s always more stuff coming in.

The longer you hold onto shyt, the harder it can be to get rid of it. It gets hard up in your bowels, sucking up moisture from other parts of your digestive system. It slows you down in every way.

Of course, some people like to hold onto their shyt. Maybe just because it’s theirs, or because they've grown accustomed to living with discomfort. Maybe it’s like the way some people like the smell of their own flatulence.

But eventually, you finally HAVE TO get rid of the shyt. It’s uncomfortable. Or it just flat out hurts. The very process of letting go of shyt can be painful. It can hurt so badly that you want to stop. But you’ve got to go through the process. Got to.

Because if you don’t let go of your shyt, it will make you sick. Or it can kill you.

Sometimes all we need is to be mindful of the need to let go. After all, it’s a natural urge. Sometimes it’s just a matter of allowing ourselves the time the let the process move naturally, and then we experience that release.

Sometimes we need help. There’s a multi-million dollar industry displayed every day on commercial television, offering all kinds of assistance to ease the process when things get backed up.

How many of us hold on to our shyt long past the point of discomfort? Don’t we all want to feel that release?

What shyt are you holding on to in your personal relationships? Your business? Your career? Is it the old hurts, the failures, the bad choices that cloud your view of the future? Is it the past success, the old patterns, the good choices that worked once but may not work going forward?

What do you need to do to let it go?

What would it mean for you to let go of your shyt?