Letting Go is Letting In

Letting Go Is Letting In

Letting go can mean a lot of things.

Letting go of bad habits is hard, but good.
Letting go of relationships you wished could have survived is even harder.

Regardless of what it is, letting go is almost always the healthy thing to do.

Whether you are releasing a habit, a person, the illusion of control, resentment, or anger, it is not an ending. It is a new beginning. A chance to live in a healthier, lighter way.

Step One: Understand Why

Before you let go, you need to understand why.

This friend talks badly about me behind my back.
This person intentionally makes me feel awful about myself.
This habit is hurting me.
This resentment is changing my behavior.

Now ask yourself: does this fit into the life I want to build?

It is never too late to change. Maybe your toxic friendship has lasted twenty years. For twenty years you have allowed this person to make you feel small. Think about what a relief it would be to not carry that anymore, to be free from the constant worry that you will be the next target of their toxicity.

Imagine that weight lifting from your shoulders.

Step Two: Accept That It’s Over

Whether it is a relationship, a habit, or a feeling, you have to make a conscious decision to end it in your own mind.

And it’s okay to be sad.

Yes, giving up Oreos is hard. You love Oreos. But every time you eat them, you consume the entire box. The next thing you know, your stomach hurts and you are miserable for a day… sometimes two.

Accepting that Oreos cannot be part of your life is difficult. But you are choosing peace over pain.

You and Oreos had a great run.

But it is over.

And it is time to find a snack that doesn’t hurt you.

Step Three: Focus on You

Letting go leaves space. The question is: what will you fill it with?

It is hard to let go of resentment. Your cousin got the Spider-Man suit you wanted and refuses to let you wear it. Of course that is infuriating.

But focusing on what he has will not help you get what you want.

If walking into a room fully decked out in an accurate, to-scale Spider-Man suit is your dream, resentment will not get you there.

Focus on yourself.

What can you do today to move closer to that goal?

Channel your energy into growth instead of comparison.

Step Four: Believe in What Comes Next

Letting go means trusting the process. It means choosing healthier decisions and removing what no longer serves you so that something better can take its place.

The road will be bumpy. Letting go is not for the faint of heart.

It will take time. Discipline. Patience.

You may relapse. You may eat the Oreos. You may text the toxic friend. You may spend an hour talking smack about your selfish cousin.

And afterward?

You probably won’t feel better.

When, not if, you slip up, don’t give up on the process.

It gets easier.

Pour your time and love into healthy friendships. Explore all the snacks until you find your new favorite. Start working toward your own Spider-Man suit.

Keep your focus on what comes next.

Letting go is not losing something.

It is letting in new opportunities.
It is choosing health.
It is forgiving yourself for letting things go on longer than they should have.

Believe in what comes next.

And let that belief carry you forward.