Dr. David Viscott on Letting Go, Letting Grow.

Roots of Life

"If we are the sum of everything that happens to us, to limit a person's experience is to limit their growth.  Indeed, to take on the burden of sentry, guarding another person's borders, is to interfere with that person's life lesson.  You cannot protect anyone from themselves; you cannot protect anyone from life.  You cannot spare a loved one the confrontation with their own mortality, their own stupidity or their own emptiness." ~Dr. David Viscott, Psychiatrist, Best-selling Author (1938-1996)   

This quote by the renowned late psychiatrist, Dr. Viscott is very applicable to our lives, as parents of adult children, as siblings, as children of aging parents, as spouses and partners.  So often we may have a tendency to bring out our co-dependent traits to rescue, control, or interfere in the life of another.  But pulling back from a situation that we feel "needs" our help, can also bring up feelings of guilt that we're not doing enough to help, direct, or even control, the life of the other person.  It's about learning to let go, to allow, to let one walk their own path.   

I'm also reminded of the spirit teachings of Dr. James M. Peebles, in which one of his Three Spiritual Principles is:  "Loving allowance for all things to be in their own time and place, beginning with yourself."

In my book, Three Principles of Angelic Wisdom, in discussing with Dr. Peebles, his Loving Allowance Principle, he stated:  "When you can allow all of life to be, in its own time and place, and allow for yourself the same, it will be easy.  That is the challenge for each of you, to come to that place of ease, to allow love for yourself, to let of go of all expectation of another, and of yourself, to give to another–all others–the allowance to be who they are, where they are, to allow them to walk their own path, while you are allowed to walk your own."

To read more of Dr. Peebles' spiritual psychology visit my website page.  

   

Thanks to my friend, Chelle at Inspiration Line for again bringing this quote to my attention.  Dr. Viscott was an amazing doctor and inspirational healer.  His books are well-worth finding.   

~Linda