Permission to let go

Sometimes obstacles or challenges seem insurmountable. They stop us in our tracks and we wonder how or when we will ever make it out on the other end.

The Disney Pixar movie, Finding Nemo (one of my faves), packs a lot of great life lessons - the value of community building, the power of sharing ideas, and the courage to press on and let go . At the beginning of the film a very traumatic event happens where all that remains of the family is Marlin (the dad) and Nemo (his son). This sets the plot for what's to come.  

Speaking from personal experience, traumatic events have a tendency to run deep and show up in various permutations if we don't confront and deal with them. They can limit our personal and spiritual growth. We build defense mechanisms to guard our vulnerability.

I am on the eve of a once in a lifetime opportunity; my 20th year of remission from brain cancer is on Monday, July 20th, 2020. Last week I was interviewed on Nevada Sports Net and Bryan Samudio asked, "what feelings does that put into your heart" based on the 20 years.

No one has framed that question for me (what feelings does that put into your heart?) and I defaulted to gratitude for all the lessons learned from navigating through adversity and those who've supported me along the journey.  

I really began to process more of that question last weekend and what has been showing up runs deeper than gratitude. It has been the permission to let go.  

What does that mean?  

Endurance sports became my coping mechanism from the toll that treatment took on my mind and body. It helped me navigate through depression, anxiety, and social insecurities. It became a way of life that was truly essential to healing. We need outlets of expression more than ever especially in the C-19 era.

What I've come to realize in 20 years of survivorship is there is a component to all of my athletic accomplishments that can be related to addiction.

Life-threatening illnesses, abuse, head injury, etc. can change us in profound ways.  While endurance sports and an incredible community helped me heal, in some ways at various times the addiction of endurance sports masked my ability to be vulnerable and open with my feelings.  

We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection. - Brene Brown

Despite everything I've overcome I'm now discovering that vulnerability is my greatest opportunity for growth. Like this scene from Finding Nemo when the whale says, "it's time to let go". For the scene and a few good laughs, click the image below...

Letting go is a form of liberation. But it can be scary because we're leaving something that once brought us comfort or safety. When we want more of something in our lives we have to make room for it.  We have to give ourselves permission to let go and trust everything will be OK.

I'm a firm believer in the law of attraction. What we truly desire in our hearts will begin showing up if we learn how to ask, be, and listen.  

My challenge for you on this 3rd Thursday is to take a time out. Detox from all forms of media for 48 hours. Turn off your phone, go out for a hike, find solitude, and observe what your thoughts are saying. Bring a pad and paper, write down what comes to mind and create actionable steps that move you closer to your desired outcome. Pick up the phone and call someone if you need to vent and get it out in the open.  

What keeps showing up in your life or business that needs to be addressed to allow room for more abundance?

Thank you for tuning in. If you're digging the vibe, I have a monthly newsletter that launched called "3rd Thursdays - Make room for abundance". It's a 60 to 90 second read on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Click here to subscribe.

With Gratitude,

Danny Heinsohn

ABOUT

Danny's mission is to help people discover and activate their greatest potential. Diagnosed with brain cancer upon college graduation, Heinsohn overcame numerous setbacks to become a high-performance sales professional, Ironman Triathlete, award-winning philanthropist, author, B2B sales leader, and keynote speaker. Whether it's for a client or his team we build competencies, confidence, and habits that lead to sustainable and repeatable success.