Divesting oneself of "holds" - can you sense the power that creates?

As Whitman reminds us, the act of 'divesting myself of the holds that would hold me' is very powerful.  Do you feel it?

From this hour I ordain myself loos’d of limits and imaginary lines,

Going where I list, my own master total and absolute,

Listening to others, considering well what they say,

Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating,

Gently,but with undeniable will, divesting myself of the holds that would hold me.

I inhale great draughts of space,

The east and the west are mine, and the north and the south are mine.

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road

Whitman begins "Song of the Open Road" as follows:

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,

Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,

Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,

Strong and content I travel the open road.

Each day we start our journey anew -- there is much to learn from Whitman's words that would do us well along our journey.  "Light-hearted" for instance -- when is the last time we really felt light-hearted?  Do we carry our worries with us day in/out?  When we do those worries occupy space in our minds, space that is not given to creativity, goodness, nor compassion.  In essence we are poisoning our minds and shutting out opportunities to grow and live fruitfully.  At best we are limiting ourselves and at worst we are circling the drain of negativity and unfulfillment.  We become what we think -- I challenge you to be more light-hearted today.

Are you limiting yourself from achieving your potential? Open the world like an oyster!

You're successful but you have self doubts? You have feelings sometimes that you don't belong in the inner circle? When not included in conversations you feel inferior? You may be suffering from Imposter Syndrome!  I have guidance for you -- YOU ARE NOT AN IMPOSTER!!  I see this behavior most often in the technical professions -- technology, engineering, etc., but it really knows no boundaries.  You are analytical and precise -- a voice of reason and knowledge.  You feel you may have command of your skills and trade but you have so much more to learn to be a true expert.  Yes, that's true, and so energizing -- to be in a field that is always evolving and stretching us to stay current and relevant and competent!  Still, I have advice for you -- stop falling prey to this behavior

!  You have earned the right to be considered a master of your trade!  The famous physicist Neils Bohr said,  "An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field."  Bask in the sunshine of someone who has worked hard, achieved much, and is "known" as an authority in your field. Connect with your inner genius!   Embrace it!  Devour it!  The world is your oyster, waiting to be opened.

Living in Width, not just Length - Are You?

 "When you consider something like death, after which (there being no news flash to the contrary) we may well go out like a candle flame, then it probably doesn’t matter if we try too hard, are awkward sometimes, care for one another too deeply, are excessively curious about nature, are too open to experience, enjoy a nonstop expense of the senses in an effort to know life intimately and lovingly. It probably doesn’t matter if, while trying to be modest and eager watchers of life’s many spectacles, we sometimes look clumsy or get dirty or ask stupid questions or reveal our ignorance or say the wrong thing or light up with wonder like the children we all are. It probably doesn’t matter if a passerby sees us dipping a finger into the moist pouches of dozens of lady’s slippers to find out what bugs tend to fall into them, and thinks us a bit eccentric. Or a neighbor, fetching her mail, sees us standing in the cold with our own letters in one hand and a seismically red autumn leaf in the other its color hitting our sense like a blow from a stun gun, as we stand with a huge grin, too paralyzed by the intricately veined gaudiness of the leaf to move.” 
― Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses

Fear

If Hope lifts us, Fear cripples us.  When you fear, you worry about something that has not happened yet.  If it hasn't happened, why spend time fearing it? Many people spend countless hours imagining what MIGHT happen, and then worrying needlessly, as well as becoming crippled by their thoughts.  They never realize their true potential in life, they set limits for themselves so as to avoid fearful situations.  They've capped their own existence.  Train yourself to deal with the circumstances in front of you, focusing on the here and now.  Carpe Diem!