How to “Let it Go”

Author of the Book “Change it Up!” Amanda Dickson shares ways to just “let it go.”

Bless and Release

Years ago, when I was going through one of the hardest times in my life, I found myself needing to let go of the intense emotion I was feeling so I could be in front of people. Don’t we all have challenges like that – we have to stop crying at work or in front of the kids or for long enough to pay the checker? Well, I started doing this stupid move where I’d twist my hand around and then stand on one foot while saying, “Bless and release.” In my mind I was thinking, “Go with God – but go!” It became a helpful little tool I would use whenever I was getting ready to be in front of people, and now I can just close my eyes and think, “Bless and release” and I feel the tension lessoning in my body.

Whatever you want, give it away.

I learned this concept from a woman named Rita Davenport. She was a TV personality in Texas. Many people know her as the president of Arbonne Cosmetics. She is an amazing speaker and motivating force. I attended a speech she gave at Thanksgiving Point years ago and she talked about this concept of whatever you want, give it away. If you want respect, respect people. If you want appreciation, appreciate people. If you want love, love people. This is a concept that soothes my heart in so many ways now. Whenever I get stuck in disappointment or resentment or whatever, I think – what do you want? And whatever the answer is to that question, I give it away.

See the perfection.

I’m not sure where my husband learned this phrase, but he has been saying “see the perfection” to me since we started dating years ago. Something would go wrong, a babysitter would cancel, and I would start to go off the deep end. “See the perfection,” he would say calmly. Sometimes I wanted to smack him with his “see the perfection.” But then we would have the most wonderful evening at home, and I would realize later that night – we wouldn’t have connected like this if we didn’t stay home, and we wouldn’t have stayed home if the babysitter hadn’t cancelled. From little things like that, to big things like our youngest son being born with a disability, I am learning and relearning to “see the perfection” in all things. It reminds me of the funny line, “You want to make God laugh, tell him your plan!” See the perfection.

Amanda Dickson co-hosts Utah’s #1 radio morning show on KSL Newsradio. She sits on the boards of the National Kidney Foundation of Utah and the National Advisory Board for Hale Center Theatre. Amanda earned her B.A. in English and her Juris Doctorate at the University of Utah. A mother of two and stepmother of three, she and her husband, Aaron, live in West Jordan, UT.