Let Go, Let God

I let go and let Divine Life fulfill itself in and through me.

This is an excerpt from the Unity booklet Mindful Moments: Finding Peace, Finding Meaning. The booklet is a collection of Daily Word® messages from past years, accompanied by new articles from Unity ministers on the same topics, plus meditations to use in your quiet time. In this one, Rev. Claudia Olmos reflects on her lessons in letting go from her mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s. 

The phrase “let go and let God” is more than an effective affirmation. It is a way of life. When problems or challenges arise, I make a conscious decision to see myself in unity with Divine Life, to let go of my attachment to a problem and yield to a spiritual solution. This is when I am truly letting go and letting God. 

God lives in me and flows freely through me. God in me is my path to freedom, abundance, peace, and harmony. If I become mired in fear, doubt, and frustration, I block the flow of God-life. Letting go opens me to the power of inspiration, insight, wisdom, and love.  

I let go and let God manifest in my life as new adventure, unexpected pleasures, and unlimited potential. I live in unity with God. 

Let the Lord your God show us where we should go and what we should do.—Jeremiah 42:3 

This message is available as a video meditation at go.unity.org/mindfulmoments.

First Feel, Then Release

As time goes by, I realize more deeply the importance of letting go. One of the most profound lessons I am experiencing right now comes through my mother and her journey with Alzheimer’s. She is teaching me the art of letting go.  

My mother was a successful, well-loved woman, always surrounded by friends and constantly striving for self-improvement. When she began to change, I realized how attached I was to certain aspects of her personality. I felt deep sadness for what she was ceasing to be. She was no longer the leader of her business community, where she had once thrived. She was no longer surrounded by friends. Her physical appearance was changing rapidly, as was her way of expressing herself. Where was my mom now?  

With each breath I take, I imagine God’s healing love flowing into me. With every exhale, I visualize myself releasing everything that no longer serves me.

One night, in deep reflection, I came to understand the spiritual essence of my mother. I realized that it would never change, that the spirit of my beautiful mother would always remain intact. I chose to embrace this truth and appreciate the present moment with her. I cherish every expression of her being—her love of singing, which has always been a part of her, and the laughter that still fills every space with joy. Likewise, I treasure every opportunity to hug her and be close to her when I visit. 

My mother has been my teacher on this path that thanatologists call anticipatory grief—a journey filled with emotions and feelings of loss that come and go. Some of these emotions have seemed illogical to me at times, but I have come to understand they are an inherent part of grief. What truly matters is to feel them and let them go, or in other words, allow them to pass through me.

Letting go of emotions and feelings takes more than simply saying, I let go. To truly release them, one must first feel them fully, regardless of whether they make sense to us or not. Rather than trying to avoid them, allowing emotions to pass through our body and fully experiencing them makes it easier to let them go. When we permit emotions to flow through us, we can more easily make peace with them and release them in a healthy way. 

Anticipatory grief for my mother has given me the opportunity to learn how to let go with my mind, body, and soul in any situation of sadness or discomfort that arises. It may be a moment of unforgiveness, a disappointment, or an unexpected event. Now I allow myself to sit with my emotions, feel them fully, and then release them mind, body, and soul, leaving me in a state of peace, tranquility, and gratitude for the experience. 

Letting go is not only a spiritual practice but one of the deepest acts of unconditional love for those we love and for ourselves. 

Meditation on Letting Go

Letting go is an act of love. By allowing the healing light of Spirit to enter me, I can return to my natural state of peace. 

Letting go means surrendering and asking God for guidance to recognize what I need to release, whether consciously or unconsciously. By welcoming divine guidance within me, I allow myself to acknowledge my emotions, uncomfortable situations, resentments, and expectations, trusting that God’s restorative love will cleanse them.

With each breath I take, I imagine God’s healing love flowing into me. With every exhale, I visualize myself releasing everything that no longer serves me. As I focus on my breath, I realize that letting go is a natural part of life. With each release, I regain a sense of peace and tranquility. 

I feel God’s spirit renewing me, opening my heart to a broader vision of life. I feel nourished, no longer giving power to past situations that do not contribute to my well-being. Today, I surrender with trust in God, and I rest in the peace of divine love and serenity.