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LET IT GO... Somehow these three words have been ignored and brushed over forever. Even now, when Disney has a spin on the meaning in a VERY POPULAR movie (just ask my 3 and 1 1/2 year old granddaughters, they will tell you what it is!) and somehow now all we hear is a particular song ringing in our ears when we see these words. However, they are very powerful and freeing words.
When it comes to the renovation process, it's something that you need to put into your daily prayers/mantra to keep reminding yourself how important the actual ACT of "letting go" is. For your sanity. For your family's sanity. For your contractor and his team's sanity. Seriously. It's important.
LET - This three letter word means "to allow". When we LET something happen, we ALLOW it. That is power when you ALLOW something in your life (or out of it). It means you have authority over whatever is going to happen so to speak. How many times do we feel powerless in certain situations? During a renovation we can feel a lot of times that everything is out of our hands. We seem to have it in our minds that "real" power is making something happen. Pushing something. "Lording it over" some one or some thing is power. But there is great power in what we allow in our lives and what we don't. It may seem passive to allow something to happen--but truly it's not. We make a choice to allow something. BOOM. Power.
IT - It can be anything. It can be an idea, a plan, a desire. It can be an emotion, like anger or sadness. It can be an actual thing like a certain appliance or flooring or paint color. Whatever is our stumbling block can be IT. During a renovation there are a lot of different "its". There are ideas I have had, or suggestions. There have been actual things I wanted that were IT at times. Sometimes, IT was a time frame for a project getting done. What is your IT?
GO - Another action word. When we think of GO we see a green light and that says MOVE IT! Sometimes this word is used to make someone hurry. We also use the word when we don't want to deal with someone, by telling them to just "GO". In the terms of renovation, and for my purpose today, GO means to not hold something down that is moving. If something is in GO mode, trying to hold on to it is futile. Think of it as a toddler running around and when you pick them up they keep moving and squirming until you can't hold on anymore. It can suck all of your time and energy trying to hold on to something like that.
When you are renovating your home, there is an emotional, physical and spiritual investment you are making. People who flip houses for a living learn pretty quick that you have to LET IT GO when it comes to renovation because time is money and getting stuck on this or that will just suck both away. But, renovating YOUR home is personal. There are so many things you may want (or think you want), or things that you may not have a choice over or frustrating circumstances at times that can suck all your time, energy and money from you too. We seem to think that if we LET IT GO we stop fighting. We are letting go of our power of choice. But it's actually an ACTIVE choice that can give you an entire new perspective on things. You didn't get that particular type product for your home? LET IT GO. Someone irritated you? LET IT GO. Something wasn't done in your time frame? LET IT GO. In these instances you are CHOOSING to not cling to a certain product when there are literally thousands of things to choose from. You are CHOOSING to not be angry. You are CHOOSING to understand that time isn't something you can bottle anyway so why even try to make time your slave? Ridiculous to try. To LET IT GO is freedom. It's freedom from some of the stress (at least for a moment), it's freedom from hurtful feelings or emotions that just give us ulcers anyway and it's freedom to allow something else or someone else have the control in a situation. It also can be a way to move forward. The renovation is over. The workers are gone. The job is done. Time to LET IT GO.
Next week: A final renovation blog with an interview with my contractor from my renovation.
Until Then!
Jen Lush--Realtor Assistant and Realtor Mother
