Beyond the Buzzwords: Why ‘Let Go’ and ‘Be Present’ Often Miss the Mark

May 6th, 2025

By Frank M. Wanderer PhD

Guest writer for Wake Up World

The spiritual path is filled with beautiful phrases. Quotes that seem to momentarily lift the veil on deeper truths of existence. “Let it go.” “Be yourself.” “The answer lies within.”

These words sound familiar, as if they’ve always been with us. And often, they come at moments when we’re seeking something—comfort, meaning, direction.

But what happens when these phrases begin to ring hollow? When they echo in us like empty slogans and don’t lead us any deeper?

What if even the most beautiful spiritual teachings become mere set pieces—while we cling to words instead of living the experience?

The Gap Between Spiritual Phrases and Inner Reality

Spirituality is not theory. It’s not a collection of inspiring ideas. It’s an inner journey. Experience. Discovery. Transformation. And on this path, every cliché can either become a doorway… or a wall.

The difference lies in whether we truly live what we speak of, or merely repeat someone else’s words.

Many walk a spiritual path, yet still feel stuck. Because behind the words, no inner shift has taken place. Because realizations haven’t become embodied experiences.

“Live in the Present!”

“Live in the present!” – perhaps one of the most well-known spiritual phrases. At first glance, it seems both simple and profound, and it’s often spoken as if it could magically solve all our problems.

But what does it actually mean to be present? It’s not just about physically being here. It’s a state of consciousness in which the mind is no longer wandering in the past or worrying about the future.

It’s a kind of awareness where attention rests fully in the now—not as a concept, but as a living experience.

Why Do We Run from the Present Moment?

The human mind is naturally time-bound. It constantly evaluates, plans, compares, regrets, and hopes. The mind seeks causes in the past and solutions in the future.

That’s how it’s evolved to help us survive. But consciousness has a different nature: it is always in the now.

Many people avoid being present because the now is too raw, too uncertain, too honest. In the present moment, there are no illusions—only what is.

And that’s often uncomfortable. So we retreat into our minds, into plans, memories, and imagined futures.

Common phrases that signal escape from the now:

• “I’ll start meditating when I have more time.”
• “Things used to be better back then.”
• “I have too much going on to be peaceful right now.”

But the present doesn’t wait for us. And it demands nothing—only our attention.

Presence Is Not a Goal but a State

Many treat being present as another goal—“Once I can stay present, then I’ll be okay.” But that, too, is a projection into the future!

Presence isn’t something to achieve—it’s something to recognize. This state has always been here.

You just need to lower the volume of your mental noise to hear it.

What Presence Is Not

• It doesn’t mean you always feel good.
• It doesn’t mean you have no thoughts.
• It doesn’t mean you passively accept everything.

True presence is not sterile or emotionless. On the contrary, it allows you to feel everything without becoming lost in it.

This inner attention is key: to feel, to see, to experience without identifying with it.

Example: John had tried for years to “stay present,” but constantly beat himself up for getting distracted. One day, he simply noticed the moment his mind wandered. Then came the realization: “This noticing is presence itself—consciousness in the moment, not perfection.”

Practice: Coming into the Now Through the Body and Attention

Presence always begins in the body. Thoughts race into the past and future, but the body is always here. So the simplest way to return to presence is:

• Observe your breathing.
• Tune into bodily sensations without judging them.
• Notice the sounds, lights, and movements around you—without labelling them.

These aren’t “tasks” to be performed—they’re gentle returns. Again and again. The result isn’t what matters—it’s the reconnection.

Presence as the Key to Transformation

All true healing, insight, and release happen in presence. Not in the intellect, not through analyzing the past—but by fully facing what is happening now.

Pain that is observed begins to dissolve. Anxiety that is consciously felt loses its grip. Thoughts that aren’t followed no longer build new layers of suffering.

Presence isn’t a tool to reach happiness. Presence is the deeper form of happiness itself, when nothing more is needed than what is already here.

Presence as a Gift, Not a Task

Presence won’t make you a “better person”—but it reconnects you to who you are without all the mental overlays.

When you’re not trying to be anything, you return to your natural state. The present moment is all you’ve ever had—and all you ever will.

Every teaching, every realization, every drop of peace begins here and now.

Inner realization: “I realized I didn’t need to change anything to be present. I just had to allow. And that was the greatest freedom.”

“Let Go!”

“Let it go!” – people say it when you’re hurting, when something isn’t working, when you’re thinking too much, feeling too much, questioning too much.

This phrase seems like a universal solution to every emotional problem. But is it really that simple?

Many who try to “let go” find themselves holding on even tighter. Because letting go doesn’t work like flipping a switch. It’s not something you can do with effort.

True letting go happens when the need to hold on dissolves. When something inside has ripened—and then it falls away naturally, like a leaf in autumn.

Misunderstandings About Letting Go – and the Danger of Self-Deception

People often confuse letting go with denial. “I don’t care anymore.” “I’m over it.” “I’m not thinking about it.” Yet their body is still tense, their thoughts return, the pain hasn’t dissolved.

Suppression is not release. Indifference is not acceptance. Denial is not liberation.

True letting go only happens once you’ve seen, felt, and faced what must be released. Not when you avoid it, but when you’ve moved through it.

Inner Confrontation: The Prerequisite for Letting Go

Before you can release anything, you must face it. This inner confrontation isn’t always comfortable, but it is always liberating. Sitting down beside the pain.

Letting it be there. Understanding it, feeling it, embracing it. That’s not weakness—it’s inner strength.

Common self-deceptions:

• “It doesn’t matter anymore.” (while your thoughts are still full of it)
• “I’ve let it go.” (yet your body is still tense, your heart still aches)
• “I don’t want to deal with this.” (but you can’t stop dealing with it)

Letting go doesn’t mean it disappears—it means it no longer controls you.

Letting Go as Consequence, Not as a Goal

True letting go is not a goal to pursue. It’s not about saying “I’ll let this go so I can have peace.” That’s just more control, more striving.

Letting go happens when there are no more questions. When there’s nothing left to cling to. When deep experience loosens the grip.

What Happens When You Truly Let Go?

• You no longer feel anger.
• You no longer wish things had been different.
• You no longer obsess over it.
• You no longer search for meaning—you see it.

And all this happens not because you tried hard, but because you’ve been through it.

Example: Grace couldn’t let go of the pain of a past relationship for years. Then one day, she stopped trying to move on. She simply sat with her pain. No analysis, no meditation—just presence. A few days later, she noticed that the tightness was gone. The letting go had happened. On its own.

False Release vs. True Liberation

In spiritual circles, we often use the phrase “I’ve let it go” like a badge of honor. But real release is quiet.

There’s no need to prove it. No need to talk about it again and again. If you’re still defending it, you probably haven’t let it go.

Signs of true letting go:

• Quiet peace
• No urgency
• Acceptance
• Spaciousness

Letting go is not about losing something. It’s a return to yourself—to what is no longer dependent on anything.

Letting Go Is Not Doing, but Allowing

The phrase “let it go” often creates pressure—yet real letting go is the ultimate release from all effort. It’s not something you do—it’s something you allow to happen.

You don’t direct it—you make room for it. And this space, this attention, this presence slowly dissolves what no longer needs to be carried.

Inner realization: “As long as I tried to let it go, it didn’t work. But when I simply stayed present with it—it began to lose its weight. As if it was never really mine to carry.”

“Your Thoughts Create Your Reality”

“Your thoughts create your reality.” This phrase is often heard in spiritual circles as a key to personal power and consciousness.

But what does it really mean? Why do our thoughts have such a strong influence, and how do they shape the world we live in?

Thoughts don’t just reflect reality—they actively form it. What we perceive and experience is often filtered through the mind’s interpretation.

Every experience we have is evaluated through our mental filters, and those filters determine how we see the world—and ourselves in it.

Shaping Reality Through Inner Patterns

Our deepest thoughts are patterns shaped over decades. Family, culture, society, and our own life experiences have all contributed to the beliefs, fears, and desires we hold.

And though we’re often unaware of it, these core patterns influence everything we experience.

What we call “reality” is often not objective truth—but a personal, filtered experience. For instance, if I believe that “life is hard” or “people can’t be trusted,” I will subconsciously attract situations and people that confirm this worldview.

Example: Christine constantly believed “I’ll never succeed.” This belief influenced every decision she made. Even when she tried to change externally, she kept returning to the same outcomes. True change only began when she realized that this belief was shaping her reality—and she started thinking differently about herself. The first step was simply allowing the possibility of success.

The Power of Awareness – Responsibility, Not Self-Blame

We must not only recognize the power of thoughts—but also learn to guide them consciously.

This doesn’t mean rejecting every negative thought—it means noticing when a thought doesn’t serve us.

When we understand that our thoughts shape our reality, we take greater responsibility for what we allow into our minds.

Responsibility doesn’t mean constant mental control, but awareness of influence and the ability to choose a different perspective.

Conscious creation begins when we recognize our role in shaping our experience—and use that power with care.

The Connection Between Thoughts and Deeper Intention

There is a strong connection between our thoughts and intentions.

The intention we bring to any situation often has more influence on the outcome than the situation itself.

When we desire something from the heart, with clarity and sincerity, that intention generates energy that attracts the right circumstances, people, and opportunities.

True creation isn’t just “positive thinking”—it’s alignment between intention and thought. When your intention is clear, your thoughts and feelings naturally begin to align with it.

Example: John had been looking for a new job for a long time, but only found offers that didn’t fit. He shifted his focus—not just looking for any job, but a place where he could truly thrive. Once he clarified this intention and released the pressure, the right opportunity appeared effortlessly.

The Myths and Pitfalls of Creation

Talk about “manifesting reality” can sometimes distract from deeper truths. Creation doesn’t mean controlling every detail of the world. Sometimes the greatest act of creation is the realization that everything is already here—and we simply need to allow things to unfold naturally.

Creation is not manipulation—it is co-creation with life. When we release control and allow things to move according to the natural order of the universe, true creation takes place.

The Power of Thought and Conscious Creation

“Your thoughts create your reality” is more than just a spiritual cliché. True creation begins when we realize how our thoughts shape the world we experience.

It’s not about forcing or controlling reality, but understanding it and working with it.

Conscious creation is the recognition that we are co-creators of our experience, and we can choose how to shape it.

Inner realization: “When I realized that every thought I had was shaping my reality, I started guiding them more consciously. And my world began to change—not outwardly, but within me.”

Excerpt from Frank M. Wanderer’s new book, Spiritual Clichés: And What Lies Beneath Them.

About the author:

Frank M. Wanderer, Ph.D, is a professor of psychology, a consciousness researcher and writer, and the publisher of several books on consciousness. With a lifelong interest in the mystery of human existence and the work of the human mind, Frank’s work is to help others wake up from identification with our personal history and the illusory world of the forms and shapes, and to find our identity in what he calls “the Miracle”, the mystery of the Consciousness.

You can follow Frank online at:

• Website – fmwanderer.wordpress.com
• powerofconsciousness.blogspot.com
• Facebook.com/AwakeningOfTheConsciousness
• https://x.com/FrankMWanderer
• Facebook.com/Frank-M-Wanderer

Frank is also the author of the following books:

• The Revolution of Consciousness: Deconditioning the Programmed Mind
• The Flames of Alertness: Discover the Power of Consciousness!
• The Biggest Obstacle to Enlightenment: How to Escape from the Prison of Mind Games?
• The Path Of New Age To Unity
• The Signs Of Spiritual Awakening: The Challenges and Gifts of Awakening
• The Spiritual Path: Dialogues Between Master and a spiritual Seeker on the spiritual Path
• The Enlightenment: Dialogues Between Master and a Spiritual Seeker on the Nature of Enlightenment
• The Revolution of Consciousness: Deconditioning the Programmed Mind
• … and several other books on consciousness and the process of enlightenment.