Early last year, my doctor suggested that I stop drinking coffee. It was a suggestion that I did not think I could comply with—and I’ll admit I didn’t even try that hard. For one thing, I loved my morning cup; it was my way of relaxing and getting ready for the day. It also woke me up and gave me energy. For another thing, I’d been drinking coffee since college, so it was one of my longest-running daily rituals. It’s hard to let go of something so familiar and comfortable. But as I realized my digestion issues were not resolving, I decided it was something I needed to do. 

Then one morning I just stopped drinking coffee, and that was it. I did have a slight headache for a short time, but I never felt comatose or unable to function, and ultimately I didn’t really miss it that much. It was so odd. I’d truly expected a complete disruption of my life.

This month’s article 

A Better Morning Jolt: Healthy Coffee Alternatives and Hacks

While Americans love their coffee, a growing number of people are adapting their morning drink rituals to incorporate ingredients in search of additional health benefits. Read More » 

caused me to recall this experience, and our Wise Words column, 

Peter Russell on the Healing Power of Letting Go

In Letting Go of Nothing: Relax Your Mind and Discover the Wonder of Your True Nature, author Peter Russell reminds readers what lies at the heart of all spiritual traditions. Read More » 

helped me understand the most surprising part of it—that it wasn’t even that hard. Russell talks of having an aha moment when the question spontaneously came to him, “Could there, just possibly, be another way of seeing this?” I think I became open to an alternative narrative when I finally decided I needed to resolve my health issues. 

Since then I’ve been recalling other decisions I made because I had a fixed belief about a matter, and considering how the outcome could have been different had I not. “Let go in 2022 ” is a mantra that resonates.

Wishing you a happy 2022 and “letting go of things that only exist in the mind.” (Read the Peter Russell article and you’ll understand!)

Shannon

PS: Make sure you register for the Natural Awakenings Charlotte New Year 2022 Giveaway at www.tinyurl.com/NewYear22Giveaway.