Grenade - The Art of Letting Go
I was joking last night, that if someone needs a good, solid lesson in the art of letting go; of letting go of things that might otherwise, harm them, they should learn to throw a grenade. I chuckled at the thought of it but, afterwards, realized that there was actually a lot that one could learn from the art of throwing a grenade. In fact, the art of grenade throwing, is actually quite aligned with the art of letting go existentially.
First step, is to acquire a target; with a grenade, that is understanding that you cannot point to a target. That, the blast will indiscriminately destroy anything in its blast radius, so you have to choose wisely how and when to let go and where to throw it. In fact, you shouldn’t even grab the grenade until you’ve acquired a target. Same goes for letting go, existentially. You can’t even decide to let go of something until you’ve realized where you are going with that decision and what it will look like in the end. What the magnitude of the consequences; or of the ‘blast radius’, will be. And how it will affect those within, it’s ‘blast radius’; who will be effected and what that will look like. And then you have to decide on the timing of the act of letting go, as a result.
Next, you have to grab your grenade in your throwing hand; using the strongest hand, with the best aim, to guarantee that when you do throw it, it will hit the acquired target area, versus sending it in an entirely different direction than intended. In other words, making sure you are letting go, of the right thing; at the right time, and for the right reasons. And, making sure that when you do, you don’t miss, or misinterpret the original target (or reason for letting go, in the first place).
Next step is to pull the pin; literally, with the grenade and metaphorically, with the existential act of letting go. Holding fast with your throwing hand, to the lever, until you’re ready to throw. Using your non-throwing hand, to pull the pin. This is allowing you to keep strong, while pulling the pin, and not lose sight of your target. At the same time, allowing you the option of replacing the pin, if you determine that it’s not actually the right time to let go. Or, if the result of letting go, will actually make a bigger mess and cause more casualties than holding on would.
Once you’ve; acquired your target, gripped the grenade, determined the reasons for throwing the grenade, and that it’s the right time to let go, pulled the pin and are ready to throw it, then you take up the position from which you will throw it. With the grenade, you will throw overhand; versus underhanded. Just like, in life, you need to be forthright and not ill-intentioned when letting go like this; not letting go, underhandedly. You also have to take the right stance, from which to throw the grenade; and the right stance from which to let go.
Before throwing your grenade, you need to find a safe place in which to take cover. As you throw it, you need to call out to those around you, letting them know you’re letting go; to warn those who might be affected by the blast, that the blast is coming. To protect yourself and others from the potential of both real, and existential shrapnel harming you and those affected by the blast.
Once you have thrown the grenade, it is literally and figuratively out of your hands, and it’s time to take cover. You need to orient yourself for the coming explosion, to protect yourself from shrapnel. When taking cover, take a position that allows you to protect yourself and your most important body parts; like internal organs. Existentially, that means, guarding your heart from harm and not letting in people, things, ideas or doctrines, that would otherwise hurt or damage it. Hence, minimizing the potential damage to you and others from potentially deadly shrapnel; literally and figuratively.
After you’ve thrown the grenade, there will be clean up to do. It might be your responsibility, or the responsibility might be someone else’s. Either way, if you’ve guarded your heart, protected yourself and others from shrapnel and survived the blast, it will be worth the effort and won’t be hard to discern the outcome. Finally, once you’re finished with this exercise, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move on. And, find and demonstrate gratitude for being allowed the blessing of surviving the blast. Gratitude for the power that allowed you to throw that grenade in the first place, and for the light exposed, inside the explosion.