Learning to Let Go

Finding Stability in Unstable Times

(Image by Inkan for Hunger Magazine)

The Bad News and the Good News

We’re going through a crazy time in our lives. there’s economic downturn, wars and attrocities raging across the globe and the rise of artificial intelligence, the gentle hum of the unknown in the background. Then there’s the US presidential election. For those reading from abroad (and for some right here), it’s a strange mix of reality television and dystopian, Orwellian literature—and somehow, it feels like the fate of the world is resting on it.

It feels like a groundless time. 

This week, I found myself returning to an old Buddhist teaching that’s always brought me comfort in times like these:

'The bad news is you’re falling through the air, nothing to hang on to, no parachute. The good news is… there’s no ground.'

This paints a vivid picture of what it feels like to confront the unknown. Many of us (myself included)  spend our lives seeking security, hoping to find something steady to hold onto. For me, growing up poor, it was this never ending feeling of needing to create enough financial security to look after myself. I figured if I had enough money, I could somehow shield myself from the pain I watched my parents go through. For others, it might be their physical health or how they look, maybe it’s their deeply held beliefs or even faith.

But inevitably, we learn that all aspects of life are uncertain. Our health fluctuates, relationships evolve, and finances shift.

No matter how tightly we grit our teeth hold on, everything in life contains uncertainty. And because we rarely talk about it—because our culture prefers not to talk about this reality—we try to avoid it as much as possible

But what if we tried a different approach? Rather than scrambling for something solid and certain what if we embraced the free fall? What if we see it clearly and “let go”?

What if there’s peace in the very act of falling.

The Fear of Uncertainty

Most of us view uncertainty as something to avoid at all costs. It’s no accident, society teaches us that the “good life” is one where everything is figured out: a career, a house, a family, a retirement fund. But when we hold onto these things too tightly, we can end up stifling them. Buddhism describes this as the pain of attachment, of trying to make permanent what is inherently impermanent. Just as the weather and our health change, everything in life is fleeting. And the more we cling, hoping not to lose what we grip, the more we suffer. The “no parachute” metaphor reminds us that there’s another way to live: by embracing the unknown.

The Illusion of Control

We seek control because it can feel like safety. If we know how the chips will land then we’ll be ok. But what if the idea of control is just an illusion? 

We often think that with enough planning and effort, we can keep life predictable. But life has a way of surprising us—no matter how many “parachutes” we think we have. When we depend too heavily on job security, relationships, or even our own health to make us feel safe, we’re creating a structure that may not hold us. Rather than building this illusion of control, we might find greater freedom in accepting that it doesn’t exist.

Trusting the Freefall

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(Image by Inken for Hunger Magazine)

In my experience, letting go of certainty is easier said than done, but it doesn’t mean resigning to chaos. Trusting the freefall is about embracing the process of being in motion without always knowing where we’re headed. Think about it for a moment, how many weird and wonderful experiences have you had through some of the scariest most unpredictable moments? In 2019 my co-founder in my first business, A—SPACE decided to leave. I had a choice, close the business down we each repaid any debt we owed or take it over and try and do the job of two people. I chose the latter, I knew there was something special in what we created but I didn't know how it would work. In 2020, that business was acquired by Open, the studio and platform I'm now a co-founder of. I couldn't have predicted that 5 years ago I would end up in LA and the seed of A—SPACE would be a part of the garden that now spans a digital and in-person global community. But boy, did I make it hard on myself, bills were late, students were sad, Melbourne was locked down with some of the toughest COVID restrictions on the planet. Still, there was a quiet voice that said.. let go.

In moments like this I’m reminded why I should never skip meditation.  Mindfulness is a way of standing still, of watching our thoughts drift by like clouds, here one moment and gone the next. Meditation teaches us to let each moment be what it is—raw, untouched, without our grip squeezing the life out of it. We’re not promised a map, we don’t always know where we’re headed, but damn, we’re here. 

Imagine yourself in a challenging moment; maybe you’re going through one right now. Maybe it's creating plenty of doubt, anxiety, or tension. Instead of searching for the “right” answer or a way out, consider simply observing the situation without judgment. Let go of the need to know. In this way, we become open to the possibilities each moment contains. 

No Ground, No Limit

“There is no ground” can sound bleak, but it definitely doesn’t mean a message of despair. Instead, it’s pointing to a liberating truth: if there’s no ground, then there’s no limit to where we can go or what we can experience. When we confront uncertainty with openness, we unlock the freedom to adapt, grow, and be curious about life.

Remember those moments in your life when you’re forced into groundlessness, like the unexpected end of a relationship or job or the move to a new city. These moments feel uncomfortable because they leave us without the familiar, but they often open doors to new paths and perspectives, if we can open up to them. 

Trying to control every outcome, especially in times as charged and unpredictable as now, only intensifies our sense of helplessness. It’s also important to remember the act of freefall isn’t passive resignation. It’s the opposite, it’s an active embrace of what is: the beautiful, raw, and unpredictable nature of our lives and the world around us. When we stop searching for unshakable ground, we become freer to take meaningful action, to respond with our full presence rather than fear.

So as you and I navigate this week, here’s an invitation to remember the paradox: the bad news is that we’re falling, yet the good news is, there is no ground. 

If you’re in the US, go out and vote—act on the change you wish to see in the world. There’s a freedom in action, a chance to engage deeply without needing certainty, to let go of rigid expectations, and to find resilience in the space between action and surrender. No matter what happens, when we meet the discomfort of the unknown with authenticity and presence, we’re more able to find the capacity for hope

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