Zen and the Art of Daniel's "Let it Go"

    Since it is May 30, and June fast approaches, I'm beginning to feel rather nostalgic about our infamous topic of the month, "Loudoun County"-- Did we do her justice? What I mean to say is, did we really, fully, and truthfully embrace this theme for all it was worth? I can surely only speak for myself when I say, I think not. Therefore, my last post for the month of Loudoun will be dedicated to the, as some would have it, surrogate prince of the county: Mr. Daniel Paschall himself.

 I'm using the word "dedicated" pretty loosely here, as I'm focusing more on Daniel's lexicon than his actual reputation in Loudoun. Anyone who knows DP, or anyone that reads this blog at least, is aware of his old and trusted adage, "Let it go." When, where, or how this statement came to fruition as a tool in Daniel's repertoire of zen mastery, we'll never know (or, he could just explain it in a comment...). What I am sure of, at this point, is that "let it go" has transformed for me: what once was a goading jibe used to condescendingly taunt the arrogance of others has now become the key to my own self-reflection. Allow me to explain... as I mentioned to Daniel, I started to employ "let it go" on a semi-regular basis to poke fun at myself whenever I was taking things far too seriously (as most of us seem to do). It certainly made me laugh, but also had the ability to inexplicably piss me off. As of late, a certain unmentionable situation has arisen in my personal life that has driven me to the brink of reason; probing me to overreact and self-destruct in ways that would surely ignite a chain reaction and send me into a proverbial tailspin. I came to such a crossroads this past week, and had but a moment to decide left or right, rationality or madness. I mockingly told myself to "let it go," and then something peculiar happened. I said it a second time, and then a third... and a strange sense of enlightenment slowly washed along the tired shores of my addled mind. I broke it down, analyzing each word individually, then pieced it back together realizing the collective "let it go" is more than the sum of its noble parts. So, here is my meager attempt at explaining my twisting train of thought during this instant:

LET: in this scenario, let is being used as a verb and is formally defined as "allowing or permitting." In the context of this mantra, let can mean several things-- something you approve, something you've caused, something you must push yourself to acknowledge, a situation you've only tolerated, or, being able to be still and be present.

IT: Ah, now this one's the kicker. "It" is infinite and expanding. "It" can mean everything or "it" can mean nothing at all. "It" is most closely related to the Buddhist chanting word "Om," which scholars are unable to define, as it is meant to signify that which is utterly indefinable. "It" means something very different to each one of us, and preciously so. "It" is the thing in which we're guarding, clinging to, unable to "let go." "It" can be a material possession; animal, mineral, or rock. "It" can be a long-held desire, a dream, a hope, a futile lusting for something that is being sought out in vain. "It" could be a philosophy, an ideology, a stereotype, a self-produced narrative you consistently choose to limit yourself with. "It" could be those things that embarrass you or make you feel shamed. "It" can be the moment he said no, or the instant she fell out of love. "It" could be your anger, your dissatisfaction, your pain, your self-loathing demons. "It" could be your beginning, middle, or end. "It" could be nothing, and rightly so. There is no correct or incorrect substitution here, as I've learned.

GO: This is the easiest concept to grasp, yet the hardest to employ. After one has done the work of discovering their "let" and their "it," they are then asked, no, begged, to release this baggage into the unending abyss. "Go" symbolizes forgiveness, in essence. It's about forgiving yourself as much as it's about forgiving situations in your life that have led you down the path of frenzy. "Go" is the stage in which you must expel the "it" which no longer serves you. It's a level of self-realization and awareness reached only when you are prepared to depart from your ego and all of it's grand delusions, used to keep you attached to the corporeal realms of knowledge. It's saying goodbye, and yet, it's somehow saying hello.

        Put back together, these simple words (for me) became much like a stained-glass window through which I saw the elucidated image in its entirety and, simultaneously, could marvel at the individual beauty of its segments. The mantra, as a whole, served me in ways I never saw coming and could never capably explain. Through this verbose and windy anecdote, I hope I've been able to convey the importance of Daniel's oft-mentioned, "Let it go." This knowing apothegm, a blithe battle cry, has come to my rescue as a weapon against the threat of my own ego. Though never stomped out, this demon (of the "britches" variety, and not) can at least be bated down by the breathing in and out of those three little words. 

       And, most importantly, of course, "let it go" can definitely still be used as the most sure-fire way of taking someone from "shit-ass happy" to sullenly scorned during a heated group chat.