LESSON ONE: Letting Go

The first step in achieving absolute enlightenment through the Why Not Philosophy is to let go.

This, unfortunately, can take a while.

Take, for instance, my situation - or, if you'd rather, situations. For exactly 1.5 non-consecutive years, I have been hopeless. How do I figure that? Well, for some inexplicable reason, every November for the past three years, my heart has been "broken." And then every following May, I finally got over myself. Really, I can't explain this. It's just how the dice rolls.

BUT NOT ANYMORE.

See, I've now devoted myself to a lifestyle of not giving a fuck. This leaves me free to care about more important things, like myself. I realized recently that some of my favorite characters are the ones who do what they need to, and don't linger around waiting for things to turn in their favor: they MAKE them turn in their favor.

Thus I've come to the conclusion: I must make my choices based not on how it will affect others, but on whether it will better my own situation or not; and in turn, this allows me to remain pleasantly free - because if I should feel the need to change direction, I won't have to worry about inflicting emotional pain; and therefore will be able to let go much, much more easily.

And as for the letting go itself - why is it so important? Picture an ocean; you've got weights tied to your legs. Tell me. How do you plan on swimming up for air without untying yourself first?

Exactly.

In my experience, I have always resigned myself to waiting around patiently for that breaking point, the point where you finally realize you're better than this. And it's always come. Sometimes sooner. Sometimes later. (Always in May.) And what I love so much about that it the feeling of release and a new start.

But what some people need is something else. A push, from themselves. Some people have to throw away everything that reminds them of what they left behind and cut faces out of photos, or they burn diaries, etc. etc. I can't tell you what you need. You find that out on your own.

But, by God, it's so worth it.