It’s not my circus. They aren’t my monkeys.
When I contacted my guides through a medium last month that was not the message I expected to get.
But I swear, that’s what they told me and if you don’t believe me, ask medium Hollister Rand.
So I dug into what that really meant and it’s this: When we own issues that belong to someone else in the hope of changing things, we’re making it our circus.
But is it really?
My default position has always been that I can change anything. Was it true?
No. In many situations, not true at all.
But I acted as if it were. I tried my hardest to change issues, situations and yes, even people by being logical or forgiving or loving or…or..or…
Those are all good things to be.
None of it made a difference. And the reason it didn’t is that it wasn’t my circus and they weren’t my monkeys.
The act of letting go of that illusion (or delusion) has brought me great freedom. It’s not my circus. They’re not my monkeys.
So if, like me, you think you can fix things if you were only louder, nicer, more persistent or whatever…try this instead:
Let go.
Not everything is your circus.
Not every monkey is yours.
Once you get that, you might just get something better:
Healing. And one more thing: freedom.
That’s a very interesting and positive way of thinking. I definitely believe that we are in charge of our own destiny.
I think that is one of my moms favorite sayings – she’s constantly telling me that.
Tomatoes and Blueberries are personal favourites. Dehydrating tomatoes is something that we have never done. Hope to try this inn our home. Will take a leaf or two from you.
The picture of the three monkeys remind me o f the three monkeys of Mahatma Gandhi that stand for a universal truth. Not to hear evil, not to see evil and not to listen to evli,
Oh, I like this! So they were pretty much saying that you cannot fix everything in life right?
I hear ya!! I concentrate on my family and thats about it. Too much drama in the world now I don’t want to be part of
I’m so dealing with this right now. I just told my husband we do whats good for our kiddies!
I usually keep to myself, and not get into other people’s business. My focus is mainly on myself and the ones I love.
I really like your point of view so much appreciated. Such a good thing to remember is freedom.
This is such a great reminder!! You cannot always change something so it’s great that you know how and when to let go.
This is something I need to remember. I am such a “fixer” and I really just need to focus on myself.
CNN has become my monkey. I seriously need to walk away but it isn’t always easy.
I think we all think this way especially when we care so much about a person or a certain situation that needs to be changed, but we have to learn to accept that not all fights are ours to win, it might be someone else’s .
Great way to look at it… not taking on the issues and problems of others as your own. We can help, but not wear the weight of it!
It’s so important not to take on everyone else’s problems. You can only do so much.
Such a good thing to remember. If it’s not your problem, don’t worry about it!
This is a fantastic message to keep in mind. It’s so easy to take on more and more problems, and it has to have a limit.
I’ve been known to say this on occasion. The key is to know when to walk off to avoid becoming involved. This is great advice.
I love that phrase, “It’s not my monkey.” I think I need to remember that when the time comes, because I know it will come.
I really enjoyed reading this post. It’s so important to know when to just let go, and not take on others problems.
I know someone that says this all the time. I try to stay to myself and only give an opinion when asked. Don’t like the drama.
Oh my! This is so needed this week. Holidaying with family in Banff and living in close proximity with another group has been, in a word: Stressful. But I’ve just let them handle their kids and stayed out of things and that seems to be working. But it’s been a long week!
Dianne, that might LITERALLY be a circus!
I try to be everything for everybody sometimes and then end up overextending myself. I will keep this saying in mind when things get too hectic.
This is one of my favorite scenes. Sometimes I just need to remind myself that there are things that I have no control over and I just have to move on.
I say this often! I realized a long time ago that I can’t fix stupid and sometimes I have to take a deep breath and walk away.
This has been one of my favourite sayings for the last few years – I even have a bangle with it engraved on to remind me that I don’t have to take everyone’s issues onboard. Another blogger told me “Don’t pick up the Monkey!” That was also great advice (I wrote a post on it because I was guilty of picking up every monkey who came my way – and ending up with a nightmare on my hands at times!
Yup, I try to just focus on my family. I try not to get involved with much else, because that can get overwhelming. Of course I help friends when they need it, but I try to stay in my own lane.