The weight of expectations can be so suffocating, like a heavy blanket that kills the warmth of our hearts. We find ourselves constantly trying, pushing ourselves forward to meet these standards set by society, by loved ones, and sometimes even by our inner critic. But what if we took a step back and realized that true happiness lies in creating the space for love to flourish?
Imagine an existence where we no longer feel the need to have it all together, to be perfect, productive, and successful. A world where we may be free to be – no longer needing to prove our worth. Isn’t it liberating? Well, good news: such a world is within our reach. It takes but a willingness to release everything that no longer serves to make room for things that are and will always be important.
The Pressure Trap
An American Psychological Association study shows that millennials reported the highest level of stress compared to any generation. The push to succeed, to have the perfect career, relationship, and life has never been anything like this. However, one can only blame the pressure from outside as there is often an inward facing turn-the-key fuel source. That source is provided by some fears about failure or pressures to be all that others want us to be.
But pressure, as attractive as the packaging, comes at a cost. Anxiety, depression, burnout. Strained relationships, and difficulty enjoying the present moment with people around us. And worst of all: it’s based on an illusion – the belief in a “perfect” form of living our lives, checkboxes that we need to complete so we can be happy.
Space for Love
Creating space for love is how we break free from this pressure trap. Space for love, love towards us, love towards our loved ones, and love towards the world that surrounds us. As we create space for love, we open ourselves to another world of possibilities. We stay more present, more connected, and more fulfilled.
This is an embrace of our defects and imperfections as part of what makes us unique and beautiful. This stops the striving for something unattainable and focusing on one’s being as good as it can get.
Other ways are putting our relationships at the center, investing time and energy in those we care about most, and letting go of the need to be impressive or to please others. We open ourselves up, converse on whatever true feeling is making us vulnerable and intimate, not getting caught up in being impressive.
Finally, we can make space for love through simply practicing gratitude and appreciating small moments of joy and beauty and by sharing that appreciation with others.
Benefits of Letting Go
And we let go of pressure, make room for love, and the rewards come in droves. We have less stress and anxiety, yet more joy and fulfillment. Our relationships with others become more intense and meaningful because we connect at a different level. And we find that we become more productive and successful in everything we do, simply because we do what we are doing out of passion, out of purpose, and not out of fear and obligation.
In the study of the University of California, Berkeley, it shows that people, who are practicing gratitude and paid more attention to good things that are happening in their life, feel much happier and better about their lives. According to the results of the study of the University of Pennsylvania, people who are engaged and invested in relationships have higher scores in terms of well-being and life satisfaction.
In fact, it’s not easy to find space for love. It asks of us the letting go of all the many things we clung on to over the years and embracing the unknown, which is very difficult. But that is also where the greater joys in life lie and where one feels more fulfilled and connected to life.
Let it go. Let go the never-fail, let go of all need to know everything, and make space for love to open up. We find that we do not seek happiness by fulfilling external demands but by embracing the beauty and wonder of what’s possible in this very moment.
