TIME TO OPEN UP THAT FIST
Often we hold on to things for much longer than is healthy for us. When we finally open our clenched fist and let go of the toxic person or situation in our life we find there are benefits we never expected. Letting go of trying to control everyone and everything frees us to appreciate what we have in our life in its own right without having conditions placed on our acceptance of it.
When you let go of a situation that hurts you, it allows you to step back and see that you deserved so much better. Leaving a job that makes you miserable helps you realize there are other career opportunities out there that are a better fit. Letting go of a person who takes you for granted frees you to invest in people who recognize your worth and build into your relationships.
2. YOU LEARN TO APPRECIATE OTHER THINGS IN YOUR LIFE
Letting go of the uncontrollable can help you recognize the things that are going right in your life. Some things don't work out, but there are many other amazing things in your life to be grateful and happy about. When you let go of a toxic relationship, you start to take notice of the supportive people in your life and the qualities you have to offer others.
3. YOU CAN WORK ON IMPROVING YOURSELF
When you let go of what's holding you down, you can take a closer look at yourself. Sometimes we sabotage our own happiness by holding on tightly to people who aren't good for us. Not letting go prevents us from exploring other relationships within our own life that may hold new opportunities for us to grow and develop. Change involves taking an honest look within ourselves and moving forward - much easier when you're not being held back by the need to control every little bit of your life.
4. YOU FIND ACCEPTANCE AND PEACE
It can be uplifting and peaceful to just accept that something is outside of our control. When you truly accept a situation and let go, you stop fighting, resisting, worrying, manipulating, overthinking, and instead put all that energy into moving forward in a positive and healthy way. As a result, you feel at peace, calm and ready for whatever life has to offer you.
5. YOU ARE NO LONGER CONTROLLED
Once you walk away from a toxic situation you find that it no longer holds your time and attention. You think about it less, your mind is engaged with new and interesting people and activities, you get a sense of release from the control it held over you. When you let go, you realize that your life is actually amazing, healthy, and stress-free in ways you never imagined before you truly let go.
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Great advice! Thanks for sharing at The Blogger's Pit Stop! Roseann from www.thisautoimmunelife.com
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure Roseann - lovely to have you stopping by :)
DeleteI love this Leanne! It is just now in midlife that I am learning to let go. I help on to so much for so long. That includes physical things and emotional things. The more I let go of things, the freer I feel and the more things I can then let go of. I wish I had discovered this a long time ago!
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd learned the lesson sooner to Michelle and I also wish it was a one off lesson that didn't need to be relearnt over and over. Everytime I manage to let go of things, I reap the benefits - hopefully all that positive reinforcement will pay off!
DeleteYou've hit the nail on the head with this post Leanne! Letting go is essential for our good health. Take care. Deb from Bloggers Pit Stop linkup
ReplyDeleteIt certainly drops my stress levels down a notch or two Deb - and that has to be a good outcome doesn't it?
DeleteLetting go is hard - it requires accepting what is out of my control, and for years I believed I could control everyone and everything in my life. In my 50's I started seeing the ridiculousness of that belief. I started to let go and accept that total control and perfection were impossibilities. I still struggle with this, but when I can do what you've suggested, I experience life with more peace and happiness. Thank you for these 5 reminders!
ReplyDeleteMelody you could be my twin sister :) Every word you wrote exactly describes me! I'm not sure why it took me 50 years to learn something that others seem to naturally assume, but I'm glad I'm learning it and letting some of my perfectionism have a rest!
DeleteYup! Letting go can be your best friend. Not always easy and be patient with yourself. I find in those situations where I know I need to let go, it helps me to set mini-boundaries along the way and then the 'Letting Go' just happens naturally. :)
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I like the idea of boundaries Mary Lou - it's so easy to assume everything is my responsibility - but if I only concern myself with the basics then it frees me up to leave the rest to others to deal with - still learning that one though!
DeleteI like your list of reasons. I find that as I'm getting older it is less difficult for me to let go, yet I realize that there's more that I could do to help myself. Especially when it comes to #5. That's the one that I need to focus on as my north star when letting go.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Ally - I was so controlled by people and events and couldn't even see it - now I try really hard to stop giving things importance they don't deserve and that gives me a little bit more breathing space :)
DeleteI find it hard to let go. I usually have a sense of failure because I've "given up" - and yet all you say is so true. Thanks for the insight. A nation of grumblers
ReplyDeleteIt's a mindset thing Shirley - and it's so important that we turn our minds away from being perfect and being dependent on everything around us being perfect - life is full of unexpected imperfections - I'm trying to enjoy them instead of trying to fix them!
DeleteHi Leanne! You KNOW I agree with you on this. And doesn't it just apply to so many things? I was trying to decide which of the 5 I like best but I think that #2 jumps out at me because I think it helps us redirect ourselves and appreciate what we might have been too busy or preoccupied to notice before. Thank you so much for the reminders! ~Kathy
ReplyDeleteI think it comes down to focus on how freeing it is to release something. The things we hold onto so tightly are often the things that weigh us down the most aren't they Kathy?
DeleteHi, Leanne - 'Letting go' is such a valuable lesson. Like you, and many of your readers, I wish that I had learned this much earlier. Better late than never!
ReplyDeleteI think better late than never is becoming one of my mantras Donna - I'm so glad I finally cottoned on to some of these lessons - even if it was a bit later in life!
DeleteLeanne, I cannot tell you how much I need this right now. I have been trying to let go of a particular toxic relationship for a long time, but your post makes me realize I've mostly been focusing on what I am losing in letting go. You've shown me what I am gaining. Yes, yes, yes to every wise and freeing word. I will read this again and again. Bless you.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you found my post helpful Elizabeth - I know it's been a real issue for me when it comes to holding on to people and relationships that have moved on without me realizing. Freeing them to go their own way has also freed me to find what is important and to stop trying to hold on to things that aren't mine any more.
DeleteSuch good points! I really struggled with holding on to painful memories and experiences for such a long time, and it left me angry and unhealthy. Once I finally started working through my stuff with a therapist and letting go I finally felt better.
ReplyDeleteIt's still a work in progress, as I image it always will be as new things come up in life, but it's good to learn ways to let go and that makes it easier.
it is amazingly difficult to let go, more so for some than others. But once you realize you don't have control and let go, the weight lifts and life goes on.
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