Just Breathe: Part Two

Just Breathe: Part Two

A Reflection by Kateb Nuri-Alim Shunnar

Holding Your Breath Ain’t the Same as Breathing

Alright, do me a favor real quick take a deep breath. No, seriously. Inhale like you just caught a whiff of something good cooking something that reminds you of home. Hold it for a second. Now let it out slow, like you’re finally sitting down after a long day.

Feel that? That’s your body saying, “See? This is what it feels like to let go.”

Now, imagine what life would be like if you actually trusted the process like that. If you weren’t constantly holding on so tight gripping, controlling, bracing for the worst.

I know this struggle personally. I used to be the king of clenching my fists around things that weren’t even mine to carry. I thought if I just tried harder, I could force life to cooperate. But you can’t force peace. And you sure can’t force trust.

Fighting Battles That Ain’t Yours

We’ve all done it fighting, stressing, trying to play director in a movie we ain’t even writing. And what do we get for it? Exhaustion. Frustration. Anxiety that feels like someone’s pressing down on our chest.

I remember one night I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, running through every possible scenario of everything that could go wrong. You ever done that? That late night mental gymnastics where your brain turns into a 24-hour worry station? Yeah, I was right there.

And in the middle of all that overthinking, something hit me like a whisper from deep inside:

"Kateb, let it go."

It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t dramatic. But it was clear.

So I took a breath. A deep, soul-filling, unclenching breath. And when I let it out, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time relief.

Because I realized something in that moment: I ain’t God.

I was out here trying to fix, control, and hold together things that weren’t mine to fix. And the more I squeezed, the more everything slipped through my fingers.

Surrender Ain’t Weakness It’s Wisdom

Now, don’t get it twisted letting go doesn’t mean giving up. It means trusting that the One who created you knows what He’s doing.

It’s like when a kid falls asleep in the backseat of the car. They ain’t back there worrying about the road, checking directions, gripping the seatbelt like their life depends on it. No they knock out, drool on the window, and wake up when they arrive.

That’s trust. That’s surrender.

But us? Oh no, we wanna be backseat drivers, grabbing the wheel, telling the Creator how to do His job. And then we wonder why we’re so stressed.

The Power of Being Still

There’s a verse I hold close:

"Be still and know that I am God."

It don’t say, “Be anxious and know.”

It don’t say, “Overthink and know.”

It don’t say, “Control everything and know.”

It just says be still.

And listen, I know that’s easier said than done. Being still when everything feels like it’s falling apart? Whew. That takes faith. But I’ve learned that sometimes, the best thing you can do is step back and let the Creator be the Creator.

Because the moment you stop wrestling, stop fighting, stop holding on so tight that’s when you can finally breathe.

For You, Right Now

So if you’re reading this, and life feels heavy like you’re constantly holding your breath, waiting for the next bad thing to happen I want you to do something.

Take a breath.

A real one. The kind that makes your shoulders drop, the kind that reminds you you’re still here, still standing.

And when you let it out, let go of everything you’ve been gripping so tight.

Because trust me when you finally loosen your grip, when you finally stop trying to hold the whole world up by yourself, you won’t fall.

You’ll land. Right where you were meant to be all along.

And baby, that is what it feels like to breathe again.

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Just Be Still & Know He Will .....

Love Kateb Nuri-Alim Shunnar .....