Finding out Tina Turner had died this week impacted me more than I thought it would. She was such a courageous, powerful, inspirational talent that we are lucky to have walked the earth with. I delved back into her journey through life on hearing about her death and was reminded of how strong she was to endure, and then leave such an abusive situation.
One of her quotes really resonated with me:
“Sometimes you’ve got to let everything go—purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything… whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you’ll find that when you’re free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.”
It’s easier said than done, but I’ve found out myself that the above is true. Sometimes when we let things go it can at first seem bleak, we can feel untethered. But slowly, over time, and after wading through the doubt and uncertainty, what starts to emerge is a much deeper understanding of self. When you walk away from a situation that is making you unhappy, it can seem as if there’s no clear path ahead, it’s like walking in the dark. It can feel directionless, you can feel incredibly alone.
But, after some time, reflection and processing it can start to feel like you’ve got a torch in your hand, and then a little while longer it’s like you’ve got a guide or two walking alongside you, and eventually, you find yourself walking along a road that is illuminated with light, and you feel purposeful and you know the direction you are going in.
Tina Turner said that she didn’t regret anything in life, she talks about life not being about what happens to you but about how you deal with it. If you do have the courage to make a change in your life, if you are able to weather the inevitable discombobulation of that, you are likely to emerge out the other side stronger, more powerful, and with a much deeper understanding of yourself.
With love as always, Hannah and Team Bird
Photo by Erik Dungan on Unsplash