There is no one problem that a person has that is not the problem of everyone. The bottom line is that the only problem we ever have is that we hurt ourselves. If we had the choice, we would all obviously say that we would like to stop hurting ourselves. But the fact is that we run into problems--run into ourselves--again and again. So what is it that is blocking our wish to stop punishing ourselves? What is it that holds us back from letting go?
Psychologically speaking, we are always working on a way to be free. Our minds are always going somewhere, building a fortress of solitude that will never again be attacked by unwanted problems. But it is impossible to genuinely let go and be on your way somewhere. It is impossible to let go and be on your way to freedom as your mind defines it.
Our minds are always busy running a mental movie in which we are the star. And this mental movie always runs directly into conflict with real life. But when our movie clashes with real life, we don't think it is the the movie that is the problem--instead we think the problem is this miserable world that is interfering with our freedom.
If you want to really let go, then when you feel that contraction--that pain, that fear--you must drop everything at that moment and drop it fully. Whenever you can remember, always let it go now. Usually when we notice that we are punishing ourselves, we say something like, "I'll let go of this later. But right now 'I' need to do something about this pain. I need to find a way to be free from it."
Strangely enough, we actually think that there is something more important for us to do than to be free now. How can there be anything more important than that! Most of the time we interfere with that moment of real consciousness that tells us to wake up and let go. We usually agree that letting go is a good idea, and that it is something we ought to do, but unfortunately, right now, it is interfering with my stressed-out life. There is no time like the present to let go. So do it now...Let Go!