πŸ“š Watts Alan – The Universe Experiencing Itself
04. The Illusion of Control

23. The Fear of Letting Go

A reflection on why surrender feels frightening, how the illusion of control creates tension, and how true peace begins only when we allow life to move on its own.

1994-10-02 β€’ 3 min read

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The Fear of Letting Go

> "To let go of the world is not to lose it, but to see it as it truly is β€” flowing, changing, alive." β€” Alan Watts

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Holding On Too Tightly

We hold on to so much.

To people, to identities, to outcomes, to the image of who we think we are.

We cling because we believe that without our grip, everything will vanish.

We confuse control with existence.

But the tighter we hold, the more life slips through our fingers β€” like water trying to be grasped by a fist.

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Why Letting Go Feels Dangerous

Letting go feels like dying.

It threatens the ego, the small sense of β€œme” that believes it’s in charge.

To surrender is to admit: I am not the one who makes the sun rise.

And that is terrifying β€” because for most of our lives, we’ve been told that being in control means being safe.

So we build walls of plans, predictions, and precautions.

But deep down, we know: none of them can stop the unknown.

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The Illusion of Safety

We’ve mistaken predictability for peace.

But the universe has never promised us control β€” only change.

And the more we fight the flow of life, the more exhausted we become.

Safety built on control is fragile.

Safety built on trust is unshakable.

To let go is not to fall into chaos, but to fall into reality β€” the one that’s been carrying you all along.

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The Practice of Surrender

Letting go doesn’t happen all at once.

It begins in small ways:

  • Taking a deep breath instead of forcing a decision.
  • Saying β€œI don’t know” and meaning it.
  • Allowing silence instead of filling it with noise.
  • Every small act of surrender reminds you that life keeps moving even when you stop trying to push it.

    That the river flows without your command.

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    The Freedom on the Other Side

    There is a moment β€” sometimes after struggle, sometimes in stillness β€” when you truly let go.

    You stop resisting the current.

    You stop rehearsing the future.

    And something miraculous happens: you float.

    You realise the water was never trying to drown you.

    It was carrying you home.

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    > "Letting go is not the end of control.

    It is the beginning of freedom."