Recently, I delivered a talk on ‘Letting Go,’ and the audience members realized that they had a lot to release from their lives that had been weighing them down. One person who saw me a few weeks later claimed that she felt like a new person after realizing that all the mental baggage alone had been slowing her down and causing her to be anxious and moody. Loosening her attachments to the past, to negative thoughts, old knick-knacks, clothing, accessories, phone numbers, and contacts from decades gone by was liberating and uplifting. She knew that life was much less stressful when simplified and enjoyed. Her spouse agreed that she was ‘a new person’ whom he was happy to meet!
We all need to let go in order to move forward. There are cues from nature that we should notice and remember: trees lose their leaves so they are not weighed down in seasons to come; the snake molts to allow for growth and release of parasites and other microbes; the caterpillar sheds a few times before it can emerge as a butterfly; our skin sheds, and cells break down, exit the body, and new cells are replacing them every second; we sweat, urinate, defecate, and exhale to allow for new life within us to grow. We sing and chant too! It is all about letting go to continue to grow. It all makes sense when you think for a moment.
One very important aspect of letting go is to not dismiss oneself in the process. Take good care and be mindful of your body-mind-spirit needs. Make the best choices for the sake of growing well.
In order to let go, we should practice the following:
- Accept yourself and others; practice gratitude in the process.
- Expect nothing; there are no guarantees of anything.
- Accept that you cannot change everything.
- Take off the chains; free yourself of the bonds that you create.
- Do your part. You cannot control others, nor can you do everything for everyone.
- Don’t be bothered by what others think in general. If you have your values, respect and honor them.
- Challenge yourself; try something out of your comfort zone.
- Express yourself; find your voice and share with others.
- You can and will feel negative emotions at some time in your life; loss is difficult. Be with others at these times and see how your pain will subside or resolve.
- Forgive yourself and others.
Human awareness of the nature of growth and release of that which has been touched, used, and is onto recycling is key to really appreciating life. We can only hold on for so long, and when it’s time to let go, it’s time.
source https://wellcomeomcenter.com/let-go-to-grow/
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