Hump Day Inspiration

In Hayley’s article about making the most of the Autumn, she reminds us that letting go is the lesson of the season. I never knew that, but I guess it makes sense now that I think more about it. The trees let go of their leaves, apples fall from trees, the ground gives up its produce for the harvest…I see it now.

After reading her piece, I immediately thought of my number-one all-time favorite quote to share for Hump Day Inspiration.  Joseph Campbell spoke/wrote a lot about living your bliss, and when I read  “we must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us” I was able to let go of a dream that I held so tightly for my career and personal life. In fact, I have needed to use this quote a few times to pry myself off ideas or desires I just don’t want to give up.

For example when I moved to Paris the first time as a grad student and was living what I thought was my dream: researching, romancing, and writing in Paris, I couldn’t find a job, the love situation turned into a disaster, and I became an illegal alien in the city. I was so sad and felt like such a failure. I couldn’t understand why it wasn’t working out since I had put so much positive energy about it into the universe. Wasn’t good juju supposed to come back to me?

Then one day I remembered Campbell’s quote and I decided it was time to give up my Paris dream. I exhaled and let the boy and Paris go. Then I decided I was ready for whatever life had planned for me back in Brooklyn. And life had great plans for me to meet my future husband and return to Paris a few years later to live a completely different life than I ever had planned for myself.

As Hayley says, “It’s the season for coming to terms with loss so that resolution can strengthen you inside and out. Letting go of that which is no longer necessary is perhaps the best way to live in the moment, to celebrate the life that you’ve made.”