Developing a Better You

Author: Matt McMann (Page 2 of 99)

Matt McMann writes books for children and the personal development blog Becoming Yourself (becomingyourself.net).

Find Peace with Let Them Come, Let Them Be, Let Them Go

Something about this quote caught my heart:

Let them come, let them be, let them go.

culadasa

It stirred a longing, a wistful feeling, a thinly veiled desire. It rang true. But what does it mean? 

One of the strengths of this quote is that it’s open to interpretation. Different people can find different meanings. For me, I realized it outlines a peaceful life, free from the fear of what may come, of what I’ll experience, and of what I might lose. I long for a life like that, to know that kind of relief and freedom on a daily basis. 

So how can I become a peaceful, mature, content person who lets things come, be and go? How can I live with open hands?

Photo by Lina Trochez on Unsplash

I need to embrace new ideas, new people, and new experiences. I must let them come, even when they challenge my comfort zone and my established thinking. And once they are there, I must let them be, appreciating and enjoying them for who and what they are without feeling the need to change them. I need to be open to what they have to teach. At the same time, I must be willing to let them go when they have run their course, served their purpose, finished their season (you can read my post on when to let go of a relationship here).

Most of us naturally struggle with some of these traits while gravitating toward others. As a routine-loving person with a slightly timid nature, I struggle to let them come. Diving into new experiences is scary for me. I’d also put let them go in the growth edge column. I tend to take too long to realize a once-cherished routine, activity or relationship has run its course. On the plus side, I’m usually comfortable with let them be

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Which of these three ways of living comes easiest to you? Which is your biggest struggle? What are you resisting allowing to come into your life? What’s already in your life that you feel the unnecessary need to “fix”? What are you struggling to let go of? Breath deep. Be honest. Open your metaphorical hands to people, ideas and experiences. Let them come. Let them be. Let them go. If you do, you’ll find greater peace and contentment, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

This post was originally published May 7, 2022.

Finding a “Still Water” Mind

It’s been a turbulent month. 

An exhausting week of author school visits capped by a bookstore event. A long-delayed layover flight that got my wife and I to our destination at 4:00 am. Caring for my dad as he recovers from knee replacement surgery. Helping Lisa’s elderly mom. Getting smacked hard by norovirus. An unexpected death in the family with corresponding funeral events.

Now that the storms have receded and a vague sense of normalcy has returned, I sit down to write this week’s personal development post only to find I have nothing to say. My gut feels empty, and my mind cluttered. That spark of an idea, sharpness of insight, or poignant life-lesson is missing.

Me while writing this post

As I write this, I’m sitting in my old bedroom at my Dad’s house staring out at the back woods, waiting for inspiration that isn’t coming.

Grasping at straws, I look through a seldom-used folder of blog ideas on my desktop and find a quote from a book I’m reading, Your True Home: The Everyday Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh, by the great Buddhist teacher. It seems especially fitting for my state of mind:

“Have you ever seen yourself in a mirror that distorts the image? Your face is long, your eyes are huge, and your legs are really short. Don’t be like that mirror. It is better to be like the still water on the mountain lake. We often do not reflect things clearly, and we suffer because of our wrong perceptions. When we see things or listen to other people, we often don’t see clearly or really listen. We see and hear our projections and our prejudices.

We need to make our water still if we want to receive reality as it is. If you feel agitated, don’t do or say anything. Just breathe in and out until you are calm enough. Then ask your friend to repeat what he has said. This will avoid a lot of damage. Stillness is the foundation of understanding and insight. Stillness is strength.” (p. 117, Still Water)

I’m trying to regain that stillness. My external circumstances have calmed, but my mind remains a tempest. I take a deep breath. Walk the dirt road at the end of Dad’s long, winding driveway. Let the silence sink into my bones.

Waves still disturb the surface of my mind, but the wind is lessening. Stillness is coming. For now, I’ll wait and trust.

Are you in a turbulent season? Acknowledge reality. Embrace your feelings. Step away from what you can. Endure what you must. Breathe deep. Take a walk. Soak in silence. Trust that stillness is coming. If you do, you’ll soon find a measure of peace, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

Text excerpt from Your True Home: The Everyday Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh published by Shambhala 2011, p 117

Want a More Fulfilling Life? Embrace Your Mortality

It’s happening quickly.

Two years ago, there were eight people on my dad’s side of the family in his generation. With my uncle passing away unexpectedly last week, now there are four. 

My wife Lisa and I are currently in Michigan helping my 84-year-old father recover from knee replacement surgery and visiting her 84-year-old mother in her retirement home apartment. Seeing the inevitable declines that comes with advanced age is a sobering reminder of what awaits me.

That said, these reflections are not making me maudlin, gloomy or depressed. And I’m not about to try to “live every day as if it’s my last,” because frankly, that’s not practical.

What I am trying to do is embrace my mortality. Face it. Make peace with it. My worldview that we are all born of God’s love, live in God’s love, and will return to God’s love helps me do that. 

Another useful tool has been making a plan for my eventual demise. Being prepared financially. Having a Trust. A will. An advanced medical directive.

I’m letting the reality of my mortality influence my choices. Impact how I live. I’m choosing to pursue and live my dreams now vs. waiting. Writing the books I want to write. Seeing the world. Spending time with people I love.

What are your thoughts about death? Do you avoid the subject? Are you afraid of it? Those are understandable responses. But your life will end. Try embracing your mortality. Make a plan. Consider a higher power. Live your dreams now. If you can’t, take steps to bring them closer. If you do, you’ll have a more fulfilling life, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 Becoming Yourself

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑