LETTING GO
THE MAGNETISM OF GIVING UP AT THE RIGHT MOMENT
Dunkirk (Dunkerque) is a coastal city in the north of France. Now the scene of soft sandy beaches, restaurants and hotels.
But way back in 1940, between May and June of that year, it was the scene of a historic predicament. And this predicament led to one of history’s most amazing operations, Operation Dynamo.
Blitzkrieg
In May 1940, Nazi Germany, as part of its notorious blitzkrieg, invaded northern France. As a result of their swift advancement, German forces managed to cut off the Allied forces in the north of France from those in the south. This included cutting off all communication and transport between the two.
The Germans had isolated the Allied forces in the north of France who had retreated to the coast. It was only a matter of time before the Allied forces became French toast on the French coast!
Operation Dynamo
Hitler then ordered his German tanks not to advance further. Whatever his intention, this gave the Allied forces time to execute Operation Dynamo. During this time, the British government began quietly preparing for Operation Dynamo. This involved the evacuation of British and other Allied forces from the French coast across the English channel.
Around three hundred thousand British and other Allied soldiers were evacuated in what is now one of history’s most amazing examples of military retreats. Not only did it involve naval vessels, but hundreds of civilian boats were used in the evacuation.
Although technically this was a defeat of the Allied forces, the British used the evacuation at Dunkirk as a psychological victory and a moment of national pride.
The evacuation at Dunkirk was significant in the greater scheme of things. It is said that those forces which retreated at Dunkirk went on to play a crucial role in the continued fight against the Nazis.
Life’s Struggles & Military Operations
While finding a job is not as dangerous as putting up a fight during a military operation, it is nevertheless difficult. And so is the prospect of starting and running a business from scratch.
The challenges of trying to find a job or fighting to get your job back, or just trying to succeed in life, can take its toll on you. It can get a bit overwhelming at times, and one can easily suffer from burnout or exhaustion both physically and emotionally.
The Signal to Let Go
At times you will come up against a brick wall and you will end up banging your head against it. You will find no immediate solution, and you will feel like the entire universe is conspiring to make your life a misery. This may just be the signal to let go.
If you keep hitting a brick wall, you might want to slow down, or even take a break from it all. Recoup, reenergize, and recollect your thoughts. You will then find it easier after a while to get back to breaking that wall, one brick at a time.
There are times when you need to give up or let go, particularly when the odds are stacked against you and when you are weakened. You need to accept the circumstances you find yourself in, and you need to take evasive action.
Claim Your Psychological Victory
Accepting your circumstances in this context does not mean accepting defeat. Quite the contrary. It is a defensive mechanism aimed at preserving your energies. Think of it as an army battalion accepting the challenging situation it is in, and then retreating, with its forces and artillery intact, only to regroup and plan another attack later on.
So accepting your circumstances and letting go, albeit temporarily, means that you are able to claim a psychological victory, just like the Allied Forces did during the Dunkirk evacuation.
Know When to Let Go
Knowing when to let go doesn’t mean giving up all hope. Sometimes, we need to stop trying too hard, and just hold back a bit and let things unfold on their own.
Let nature take its course. Let the universe do its magic. You have created the energy, the climate and the momentum, now let go.
Let things unfold on their own.
“ Yes, we must chase what we want, seek it out, cast our lines in the water, but sometimes we don’t need to make things happen. Our souls are infinitely magnetic.”
Matthew McConaughey (Greenlights)