Tövbe: The Turkish Word for Promising to Quit Something Out of Regret
Repentance, simplicity and being free of the over-everything for the sake of freedom
This week, I wanted to write about a word that comes to mind as we prepare to end one year and begin another, setting new goals, making promises to ourselves, and deciding which path will lead to our ideal life.
Tövbe.
Although I did not intend it, the final word of the year is from my native language, and this is also symbolic.
Tövbe means repentance, deciding and promising to stop doing something we regret having done or are still doing. We repent because what we regret has caused us or others so much pain that we vow never to do it again. It’s a powerful promise with a spiritual dimension.
We all have things in our lives that we wish we could forget and regret. Drinking alcohol, eating an unhealthy diet, making promises we can't keep, and seeing people who irritate us... I have as well. But I'm hesitant to repent, or not courageous to quit as much as I’m willing to welcome new things. Making promises to yourself, the face you see every day, is a serious matter. We’d better be careful when deciding whether to begin or stop doing something.
Giving up can be healing. It's like a balloon dropping its weights to the earth in order to fly. To defy gravity, the balloon must become as light as possible and leave anything unnecessary. Because it can become free as it’s purified. Humans, I believe, are as well. They can be liberated to the extent that they simplify their lives. Giving up allows for simplicity.
Giving up, on the other hand, is a skill that must be mastered. Pay attention to what and why you give up, as well as why you don't. Family, friends, personal lives, dreams... They are the ones we must avoid when leaving or sacrificing, and those we must resist with all our might when forced to do so.
The end of one year and the start of another give us the opportunity to be renewed. It's similar to the growth of a new branch on a tree. It's new, tender, and hopeful.
Release your weight, let go of your burden, and provide a clean and spacious room for new and fresh things that are eager to come. Beautiful flowers grow in good soil.
I wish all of my human friends a great year to remember smiling for a lifetime ♥
Thanks for reading!
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