HOW LETTING GO IMPROVES EVERYTHING...

Far too often, we get attached to the outcome of our goals.

We must achieve what we want, otherwise we are a failure, not good enough, or a whole host of less than supportive things we say to ourselves.

This is a mistake that I have made a lot in my life.

I wanted success so badly, I was willing to sacrifice everything. 

My entire identity, and sense of self worth was defined totally by whether not I was 'making it' - working with big artists, jetting around the world, playing great gigs, 'living my best life'.

Ironically, this made achieving my goals nigh on impossible, and took a huge toll on my mental health.

I had to let go of control.

What is 'Letting Go'?

The modern world teaches us attachment - have goals, dream big, work hard, grind, no pain no gain - on and on it goes.

The subtext to this is, if you don't do these things, you're a loser, and you're worthless.

In order to release attachment to our goals, we must let go of the outcome.

How?

Letting go doesn't mean not caring, or not having things we'd like to achieve in life - it's being ok with the outcome whatever happens, and knowing that we'll be ok no matter what.

It's fully accepting our ambitions are part of something bigger - the whole of our lives - and our lives are part of something far bigger than our selves.

You are NOT Your Goals! You are FAR More!

You'll still be an amazing friend, parent, partner, brother or sister, and you'll do amazing things in the other areas of your life, which is equally important as getting singed, getting gigs, and making the best music you can.

I had to realise all of this, and stop carrying the weight of my ambitions around like a fully laden backpack.

When I finally let go, I felt free, and ironically, the things I wanted started to happen with ease, precisely because I was ok with not achieving it, and learned to let life flow naturally.

Our musical and creative ambitions are just one area of our whole lives, yet it's so easy to allow them to take over, and lose sight of the bigger picture.

No one sums this up better than Dominik Cruz, in one of my favourite Joe Rogan episodes ever. Cruz overcame multiple career threatening injuries to return to his sport of Mixed Martial Arts, and regained his UFC Championship, and he puts his incredible redemption down to letting go of his dream, and fully, truly accepting that he might not compete ever again. The clip I've linked here, and the entire podcast, makes for profound listening.

This Week...

Recognise where you are attached to the outcome of your goals as an artist / producer, or other situations in your life. Take some time to let go of that attachment, and realise that you will still be an incredible human being, with a fulfilled life, regardless of the outcome.

To your increasing Creative Flow -

Big Love,

Paul <3