Letting it Go to Let it Emerge
If there ever were a doubt about the existence of such a phenomenon as ‘trying too hard’, self-reflections over past few weeks have convinced me of the omnipresence of the crime. In the perennial quest to exceed our own last performance we grunt, grimace, make a sour lemon face and more often than not forget to exhale. ‘Immersion’ in the effort has its own pleasure and advantages but when the immersion becomes an indispensable part of every waking moment, it’s a signal to step back and let it go.
As many inventors, scientists, accomplished and in the making researchers would vouch, letting go and letting it emerge is an important part of any creation. An honest knowledge seeker nose-dives into the vast sea of available knowledge that promises to answer the questions bubbling in her heart. With the grace of a mermaid she keeps going deeper and deeper and then some more till holding her breath any longer becomes impossible making her come to the surface, frantically gasping for breath. If only she knew that coming up to breathe is as important as embracing the sea if not more!
There exists a methodology in the genre of ‘qualitative research’ called ‘Grounded Theory’ (developed by Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss) which exemplifies the importance of letting go and developing the art of letting it emerge. Contrary to beginning with a theory, premise, question or hypothesis, the knowledge seeker here gathers detailed data about a phenomenon and then immerses herself into making sense of the data through themes and patterns. As confessed by most who undertake this overwhelming task, dead-ends are inevitable. The trick then is to step back, sleep on it and sometime just wait for the answer to emerge- that is refrain from trying too hard. Those who master this strategy are the ones that receive authentic and novel answers to the questions in their heart.
Those of us who often suffer from muscular cramps during a work out may better understand the power in letting it go. Trying too hard to perform an activity, gripping, bulking or tightening muscles produces that shooting sensation which can easily be relieved or even avoided by consciously letting the muscle relax and breathing into it. Adopting this strategy has the potential to transform a jerky, ‘hiccuppy’ effort into a beautiful, seamless dance.
This though must not be confused with taking a break or time off. The mantra of letting it go and letting it emerge is what fitness junkies would refer to as ‘active recovery’- after a burst of effort, slowing it down without stopping. It is a mindful ‘waiting out’ when you have assimilated to the maximum. As you step-back and observe a completely new picture emerges and you wonder where was it hidden amongst all the disconnected pieces? Runners often talk of getting their best ideas during their long runs; few of the famous have achieved this in their bath tubs; while most of us mindfully live our lives keeping faith in the eventual emergence of the answer. All the work done before, the reflections on that, combined with our learnings from the past stashed away somewhere in our grey cells come beautifully together when we give them the space to connect all the while sub-consciously encouraging the interaction.
It might be easier said than done. Being attached to a genuine quest for answers is a natural reaction. But when the quest that began as an exciting journey changes to never ending turns leading to dead –ends, it’s a signal to let go and wait so that what emerges is bigger than what your incessant efforts could have created.
If there ever were a doubt about the existence of such a phenomenon as ‘trying too hard’, self-reflections over past few weeks have convinced me of the omnipresence of the crime. In the perennial quest to exceed our own last performance we grunt, grimace, make a sour lemon face and more often than not forget to exhale. ‘Immersion’ in the effort has its own pleasure and advantages but when the immersion becomes an indispensable part of every waking moment, it’s a signal to step back and let it go.
As many inventors, scientists, accomplished and in the making researchers would vouch, letting go and letting it emerge is an important part of any creation. An honest knowledge seeker nose-dives into the vast sea of available knowledge that promises to answer the questions bubbling in her heart. With the grace of a mermaid she keeps going deeper and deeper and then some more till holding her breath any longer becomes impossible making her come to the surface, frantically gasping for breath. If only she knew that coming up to breathe is as important as embracing the sea if not more!
There exists a methodology in the genre of ‘qualitative research’ called ‘Grounded Theory’ (developed by Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss) which exemplifies the importance of letting go and developing the art of letting it emerge. Contrary to beginning with a theory, premise, question or hypothesis, the knowledge seeker here gathers detailed data about a phenomenon and then immerses herself into making sense of the data through themes and patterns. As confessed by most who undertake this overwhelming task, dead-ends are inevitable. The trick then is to step back, sleep on it and sometime just wait for the answer to emerge- that is refrain from trying too hard. Those who master this strategy are the ones that receive authentic and novel answers to the questions in their heart.
Those of us who often suffer from muscular cramps during a work out may better understand the power in letting it go. Trying too hard to perform an activity, gripping, bulking or tightening muscles produces that shooting sensation which can easily be relieved or even avoided by consciously letting the muscle relax and breathing into it. Adopting this strategy has the potential to transform a jerky, ‘hiccuppy’ effort into a beautiful, seamless dance.
This though must not be confused with taking a break or time off. The mantra of letting it go and letting it emerge is what fitness junkies would refer to as ‘active recovery’- after a burst of effort, slowing it down without stopping. It is a mindful ‘waiting out’ when you have assimilated to the maximum. As you step-back and observe a completely new picture emerges and you wonder where was it hidden amongst all the disconnected pieces? Runners often talk of getting their best ideas during their long runs; few of the famous have achieved this in their bath tubs; while most of us mindfully live our lives keeping faith in the eventual emergence of the answer. All the work done before, the reflections on that, combined with our learnings from the past stashed away somewhere in our grey cells come beautifully together when we give them the space to connect all the while sub-consciously encouraging the interaction.
It might be easier said than done. Being attached to a genuine quest for answers is a natural reaction. But when the quest that began as an exciting journey changes to never ending turns leading to dead –ends, it’s a signal to let go and wait so that what emerges is bigger than what your incessant efforts could have created.
posted by Garima at 1:50 PM
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