When we hear about letting go, it is often used in the context of forgiving past hurt or getting rid of emotional baggage. For example, letting go of a bad relationship or letting go of a bad employee.
My journey of dropping old mindsets and embracing the new has opened up my world. For example, I discovered that when you need to carry out a task that you consider to be difficult, all its ancestors arise from the dead and gather around as you attempt this new feat. The difficult becomes impossible and you may procrastinate or worse, quit. The moment you name a task difficult, complex or impossible, it really does become that. The truth is that whatever you encountered in the past, really is in the past. Every new day brings with it new opportunities, new strength, new resources and even new knowledge. The fact that you couldn’t do it previously does not mean you can’t do it now.
Let go of the irrelevant
I am learning to let go of anything that is irrelevant. Irrelevant does not necessarily mean bad, but it can become heavy baggage that you drag around with you. This, for me, means a whole lot of social media time. Just how many positive quotes does one need in a day? Outfit of the day? How about cute pictures with our preferred hashtags? I’m not saying we should not unwind and catch up with our friends and social media buddies, but even in doing so, don’t carry what you just read around with you if it is not relevant to your future.
Let go of the good old days
The last few days have had me questioning where my hopes, dreams and inspiration come from. During a soul searching moment, I realised that many of my dreams have had their foundation in situations that I considered a success. Just because you once had it good does not mean that all good things must come from that past experience. Draw your inspiration from a better-imagined future. Your future, improved self should encourage you to keep coming until you become her. Now, that takes courage because it is more difficult to dream from a proven past than a possible future. Dreaming from the future uses creativity. An artist draws a picture based on what the picture will become, not on what already exists. Architects draw a plan using the inspiration of what the completed building will look like, not what it is now. At the moment it is just a plot of land.
Letting go of the past allows you to come up with brand new, never before seen ideas. That’s how innovation happens. That’s how even though there had never been a plane, the Wright Brothers imagined that there could be one, and they invented it based on what it would become. Draw your inspiration from an improved, future state but remember that the actual work is built on your current circumstance. Your circumstance is the unchangeable place you find yourself in which you may consider to be good or bad. Read the previous post on Circumstances here
Let go of option B
This one is for the undecideds. When you have to make one choice from two or more possibilities, make the decision and let go of the other(s). Do not torture yourself by wondering if you made the right choice. Chances are both come with their own unique challenges as well as blessings anyway.
Let go of dead conversations
You know what it’s like when you think back to a previous conversation and end with “I wish I had said that instead?” Let go. There is no amount of rehashing of an old conversation that will result in a new outcome.
Let go of old mindsets & customs
I shared my journey by letting go of old mindsets and adopting new ones. I was able to embrace the new because I was willing to let go of the old. The result has been new experiences, new friendships and coming to new conclusions which have served me well. I daresay I am even experiencing new emotions which is surprising. Being in my forties, I thought by now I would have come upon every possible emotion. I was wrong. But you see, there wouldn’t have been room for the new if I still held on to the old. The world is in a constant state of change. New cultures and new groups of people are emerging which means we need to develop new language and ways of communication. It is tempting to want to live as though it were the good old days, but you will not be relevant if you don’t at least try to understand the new.
Let go of expired relationships.
Some people are only meant to be in your life for a season. Then there are those who are meant to be there always, but you don’t have to walk side by side throughout your entire journey. Know the difference. Let go of people who are meant to be gone. Also, let go of the hand of that person walking by your side as we all journey at different paces. Holding their hand will slow you both down which will lead to frustration.
I am embracing the importance of letting go of anything that does not move me forward. Releasing excess baggage will ensure you are always travelling light.
I am pretty sure there is more to let go of, please share your thoughts!
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