Let Go. Open Up. Be Free
Jul 27
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Lang Charters
Hi beloved one. How are you?
You know how sometimes it’s the little things that light you up?
It tickled me that although my wife and I were in Europe for our country’s 250th anniversary, we still got to celebrate it in a nation with a red, white, and blue flag … the Czech Republic. For Lisa’s big Christmas present, we flew from Sicily, where we currently live, to Prague, its capital, for a long weekend. Which also happened to mean that while the U.S. celebrated 250 years of independence. Many of the cobblestone streets we strolled along, churches and palaces we admired, and other structures we saw were literally older than the country we call home. Frequently by hundreds of years!
Talk about shifting and reframing one’s perspective!
Along those lines, hearing about the Czech Republic’s recent history also invited Lisa and me to pause and reflect. You see, it was only after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 that the Czechs escaped the clutches of fascism by peacefully revolting against the U.S.S.R. In other words, although their culture is far older than America’s, their freedom is much younger.
After learning about this on a really fun walking tour that took us from Prague’s New Town to Lesser Town and then to Old Town, Lisa and I had a not-so-fun “moment”. One that took us from being connected and delighted, to being disconnected and disgruntled. Like a tropical storm blowing in out of nowhere, it threatened to turn a wonderful day into a gloomy one.
As we trudged up the hill to a Vietnamese restaurant our tour guide, Keegan, had recommended, you would not have wanted to see my thought bubbles. The worst part is, I clung to and doubled down on the feelings of agitation, defensiveness, and anger that arose within me. Step-by-step, I could feel every part of me—mind, body, and spirit—tighten and tense up.
The real kicker is that neither Lisa nor I had done anything wrong or harbored any ill will. In reality, the moment that sent us into a downward spiral was simply an instance of miscommunication and misunderstanding. In that regard, Saint Paul offers some sage advice:
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” (Philippians 4:8, The Message)
Part of what he is getting at is:
Our thoughts and beliefs are powerful. They direct and shape the river of our lives.
In that regard, at this point in my journey, I was making poor choices. I was choosing a form of inner tyranny over freedom. Can you relate?
The good news, though, is that your and my thought bubbles are very much like the dishes at a buffet. We have a whole host of options to choose from. Just because the first “dishes” I saw were servings of agitation, defensiveness, and anger doesn’t mean I had to keep them. Kindness, understanding, curiosity, grace, compassion, and love were still on the table … ready and waiting for me to spoon them up!
Have you noticed the restrictive and constrictive nature of the thought bubbles and feelings I was choosing? They were quite literally blocking me from the open, expansive quality of the beautiful inner dispositions that Paul invites us to. As the father of American psychology, William James, observes:
“There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking.”
In other words:
We become our thoughts and beliefs.
Which brings me to the power of letting go and opening up. As the evening progressed, and after a few hard conversations, Lisa and I agreed to let the moment, and the thoughts we had built up around it, go. A decision that reopened our hearts and minds to the expansive flow of lovingkindness, and set us free.
This experience taught me that:
Letting go of thoughts and beliefs that constrict and drag you down will allow you to open yourself up to the expansive nature of love, kindness, and compassion, which will set you free to be fully and freely alive.
Having shared that, I’m curious and would honestly love to know. Where did my story and musings take you?
I hope you have a beautiful day!
Love and hugs,
Lang
You know how sometimes it’s the little things that light you up?
It tickled me that although my wife and I were in Europe for our country’s 250th anniversary, we still got to celebrate it in a nation with a red, white, and blue flag … the Czech Republic. For Lisa’s big Christmas present, we flew from Sicily, where we currently live, to Prague, its capital, for a long weekend. Which also happened to mean that while the U.S. celebrated 250 years of independence. Many of the cobblestone streets we strolled along, churches and palaces we admired, and other structures we saw were literally older than the country we call home. Frequently by hundreds of years!
Talk about shifting and reframing one’s perspective!
Along those lines, hearing about the Czech Republic’s recent history also invited Lisa and me to pause and reflect. You see, it was only after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 that the Czechs escaped the clutches of fascism by peacefully revolting against the U.S.S.R. In other words, although their culture is far older than America’s, their freedom is much younger.
After learning about this on a really fun walking tour that took us from Prague’s New Town to Lesser Town and then to Old Town, Lisa and I had a not-so-fun “moment”. One that took us from being connected and delighted, to being disconnected and disgruntled. Like a tropical storm blowing in out of nowhere, it threatened to turn a wonderful day into a gloomy one.
As we trudged up the hill to a Vietnamese restaurant our tour guide, Keegan, had recommended, you would not have wanted to see my thought bubbles. The worst part is, I clung to and doubled down on the feelings of agitation, defensiveness, and anger that arose within me. Step-by-step, I could feel every part of me—mind, body, and spirit—tighten and tense up.
The real kicker is that neither Lisa nor I had done anything wrong or harbored any ill will. In reality, the moment that sent us into a downward spiral was simply an instance of miscommunication and misunderstanding. In that regard, Saint Paul offers some sage advice:
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” (Philippians 4:8, The Message)
Part of what he is getting at is:
Our thoughts and beliefs are powerful. They direct and shape the river of our lives.
In that regard, at this point in my journey, I was making poor choices. I was choosing a form of inner tyranny over freedom. Can you relate?
The good news, though, is that your and my thought bubbles are very much like the dishes at a buffet. We have a whole host of options to choose from. Just because the first “dishes” I saw were servings of agitation, defensiveness, and anger doesn’t mean I had to keep them. Kindness, understanding, curiosity, grace, compassion, and love were still on the table … ready and waiting for me to spoon them up!
Have you noticed the restrictive and constrictive nature of the thought bubbles and feelings I was choosing? They were quite literally blocking me from the open, expansive quality of the beautiful inner dispositions that Paul invites us to. As the father of American psychology, William James, observes:
“There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking.”
In other words:
We become our thoughts and beliefs.
Which brings me to the power of letting go and opening up. As the evening progressed, and after a few hard conversations, Lisa and I agreed to let the moment, and the thoughts we had built up around it, go. A decision that reopened our hearts and minds to the expansive flow of lovingkindness, and set us free.
This experience taught me that:
Letting go of thoughts and beliefs that constrict and drag you down will allow you to open yourself up to the expansive nature of love, kindness, and compassion, which will set you free to be fully and freely alive.
Having shared that, I’m curious and would honestly love to know. Where did my story and musings take you?
I hope you have a beautiful day!
Love and hugs,
Lang
Lang Charters
Lang Charters is a life coach, soul care companion, yoga teacher, writer, husband, father, and lover of life. His calling is to help people flourish in the here and now. To aid him in this endeavor, Lang received his Master of Divinity from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, Doctorate of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary, Spiritual Direction certification from George Fox University, and Life Coach Certification from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC).
Lang’s passion is to help you ride the upward spiral of love. A deep love for yourself, others, life, and something greater. When things fell apart in his life—he’s gone through two heart-shredding divorces, and should have died from a freak hiking accident—Lang discovered loving kindness is not only the energy that heals and puts us back together, it’s the spirit that transforms us into the best version of ourselves!
In soul care and life coaching, Lang loves to walk alongside people as they navigate transitions and disruptions. He also specializes in helping them uncover greater purpose and passion in any area—or all of—their life.
While Lang currently lives in Sicily with his wife Lisa, he will always be a Washingtonian, devoted 12th man, and True to the Blue!
For more information about Lang, check out https://lightlovelang.offeringtree.com.
If you’re interested in more of his writing, you can find him at Light and Love with Lang on Substack.
Lang Charters is a life coach, soul care companion, yoga teacher, writer, husband, father, and lover of life. His calling is to help people flourish in the here and now. To aid him in this endeavor, Lang received his Master of Divinity from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, Doctorate of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary, Spiritual Direction certification from George Fox University, and Life Coach Certification from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC).
Lang’s passion is to help you ride the upward spiral of love. A deep love for yourself, others, life, and something greater. When things fell apart in his life—he’s gone through two heart-shredding divorces, and should have died from a freak hiking accident—Lang discovered loving kindness is not only the energy that heals and puts us back together, it’s the spirit that transforms us into the best version of ourselves!
In soul care and life coaching, Lang loves to walk alongside people as they navigate transitions and disruptions. He also specializes in helping them uncover greater purpose and passion in any area—or all of—their life.
While Lang currently lives in Sicily with his wife Lisa, he will always be a Washingtonian, devoted 12th man, and True to the Blue!
For more information about Lang, check out https://lightlovelang.offeringtree.com.
If you’re interested in more of his writing, you can find him at Light and Love with Lang on Substack.
