TURN TURN TURN. So here we are again, another spring. With more sunshine and warmer weather, we’re all slowly crawling out of hibernation mode. Wonderfully refreshing days, nature bursting with colour and the chirping of birds beginning their new families — all heralding a time of renewal. Spring it seems is a good time to trim the proverbial fat, making room for our own rebirth and releasing things that block our path to happiness. If only it was as easy as writing it.

I just turned a year older, and with that year — as I slowly trade my youth for just  a little more wisdom — I’ve figured out that unless you’re a deciduous tree, renewal sometimes takes some effort and hard work. Like all good ‘spring cleans’ you need to be ruthless with some of that old stuff that’s just clogging up your life, so there is room for the new. I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking about how important this  is and wondering if I can do it.

Letting go is one of my hardest lessons in life (sometimes I hold onto things like a dog with a bone). Over time you form strong attachments to ideas, places, people and things (good and bad) — and it can be a very painful experience when you realise that it’s time to let go. Even the mere thought of not having them in your life just squeezes your heart in pain. This is why letting go of the old (and the process of letting the new emerge) can be one of the scariest experiences in life.

I’ve learnt that refusing to let go just serves as a roadblock to my happiness. Unfortunately I don’t have a silver bullet and might not be able to always do it under my own strength, but that’s where my little bit of wisdom comes in… so here I go.

It’s all about the people that love us.

Not all advice and criticism is right, but it’s all worth listening to and considering carefully. If you’re anything like me it can be difficult to let people help — it’s often very confronting to your ego and we often push back instead of embracing. Being open and letting people in is often just what we need to move us along — like that old saying goes, ‘sometimes the truth hurts’, but it can also help. If you’re ready to change and let go
(I know I am), give the people that care about you permission to be strong when you can’t, to say what needs to be said, and to love you. Sometimes there is just so much junk to get rid of, it takes more than one person to fill the hopper.

In the spirit of letting go of old perceptions, this month we discover that being gay is not just a human condition, but is also common throughout the animal kingdom. Hopefully people will start to see that sexuality and sexual orientation is not a choice, but a natural part of being a living creature (...on a personal note, this article really pleases me because it means if the religious right is correct, at least I’ll be able to have a few pets in hell). p24.

If you think that being rich and famous makes it easier to let go and be happy, you probably sould have a talk to George Michael — he’s in London’s Pentonville Prison for eight weeks. Using dope to let go, while expedient, is very short lived and has some major drawbacks, especially if you do it while driving a car. p10.

We also have an interview with pro snowboarder Jo Chastney — she’s a bit of a star on the slopes and was keen to tell us all about her sporting passion, shredding and being a proud out lesbian… you go girl! p40.

There is of course lots of other interesting reading this month, but I’ve run out of room, so check out all our other great articles and remember if it’s not working for you… let it go! Enjoy... or don’t, Alex