8 simple Reasons you have to Let Go

Holding on can be painful. Yet, as human beings, we cling desperately to almost everything. We don’t like change, so we resist it. We want life to be the way we think it “should” be.

Most of the things we desperately try to hold on to, as if they are real, solid, everlasting fixtures in our lives, are not really there. Life gets a lot easier to deal with when we understand this.

It’s about being human and open-minded.  It’s about identifying the source of your pain, and accepting it so you can learn and grow from it. When you develop the skill of letting go, and practice it daily, you automatically prepare yourself for any challenge that could possibly come your way.

So how can we stop holding on and learn to let go?

1. When you let go, you allow yourself to make the best of what you have got. A big part of your ability to be happy and successful in the long run relies on your willingness to let go of what you think your life is supposed to be like right now, sincerely appreciate it for everything that it is, and then make the very best of it.

2. When you let go, you get to use your resources more effectively. Holding on is like wanting to control the uncontrollable. Letting go and allowing uncontrollable things to happen, on the other hand, means these things will take care of themselves naturally, and your needs can also be better met in the process.  At the very least, you will have less stress, and more time and energy to focus on the things that truly matters.

3. When you let go, you free your mind from needless worries. When you are lost in worry, it is easy to mistake your worries for reality, instead of recognizing that they are just thoughts. Do your best to be mindful.  Let your presence expand and your worries shrink.  Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in the possibilities.

4. When you let go, you learn more about how life really works. When you hold on to how things “should” be, and attempt to control the uncontrollable, you automatically block yourself from the truth.  You resist how everything works rather than learning about it.  The key is to educate yourself about your present circumstances and then work smarter with what you have got.

5. When you let go, you get to appreciate others for who they truly are. It’s about loosening up and learning to appreciate different perspectives, lifestyles, and opinions, even if it means overcoming your ego and opening your mind beyond what’s comfortable.

6. When you let go, you get to focus less on pleasing others, and more on just doing the best you can. How often has your life been driven by the misunderstandings and judgments of others? And how often have these misunderstandings and judgments disappointed you or stressed you out because you thought you could control the way everyone sees you?  The truth is, most people will see what they want to see whether you worry about it or not.  It’s time to let go of trying to control how everyone perceives you.  It’s time to just do the best you can.

7. When you let go, it gets easier to forgive yourself, and love yourself again. Ask yourself: is it possible that all the “bad” things you have done have been forgiven and forgotten by everyone who matters in your life, except you? Sometimes you have just got to look at yourself in the mirror and say, “what I did was bad”.  It was a terrible mistake.  But I’ve grown from it.

8. When you let go, you get to enjoy more of life’s pleasant surprises. Life is so full of unpredictable beauty and brilliant surprises. Do you know that feeling? When something is just too beautiful?  When someone randomly says something that moves you to the point of tears. Do you really want to miss out on that feeling for the rest of your life?  Then let go of the constant rumination, and pay closer attention to the life you’re actually living.