Letting Go in 14 Powerful but Simple Steps

Have you ever held onto emotional and physical pain for a very long time? 

These behaviors, whether in ourselves or around us, cause us to live in and dwell on the past and fear the future.

Our minds swim in the replays of our past mistakes and the feelings of shame, anger, frustration, failure and regret, just to name a few.

Carrying these burdens dictates the actions we take in the present and feed into the fear of the future.

Fear then leads to stress, potentially exacerbating or causing new health issues, and continued emotional and physical pain.

Do you really want to enter 2020 with this baggage?

Do you really want a repeat of the past?

Look at your results. Are you happy with them? If yes, great. If not, are you HOLDING ON to something?

We all know that if we put a little energy into something, we get a little out.

The same holds true for letting go. By letting go just a little of your past and future regrets, you obtain a little peace in your life but if you let go of a lot, then you will bring in a lot of peace. 

More peace equals less stress! Isn’t that the formula we all desire?

Here is a small sampling of actions you can take today to begin to let go of the pain and allow peace into your mind and body:

1.     Forgive yourself and Forgive others. Not allowing this catharsis of your own mind and spirit only hurts yourself … it eats away at yourself.

2.     Pray or Meditate every day

3.     Exercise or perform some physical activity every day. Don’t have time? Read up on HIIT…. high intensity interval training which only takes minutes. (Get a physicians approval ... this is 'high' intensity).

4.     Learn a new skill … direct those energies and thoughts to something productive.

5.     List out your accomplishments and continue to add to the list daily.

6.     Focus your energy on that which you CAN control and not that which you CAN’T control.

7.     Engage in a creative project or hobbies (painting, crafts, gardening, book club).

8.     Write a letter to whomever you hold your anger for, then burn the letter.

9.     Take responsibility for you could have done better. Don’t beat yourself up. Understand that failure is a learning experience.

10.  Wear a rubber band or something around your wrist and pull it every time you begin to obsess on the angry thoughts.

11.  Have gratitude for the positive memories and know that life is a learning experience.

12.  Visualize how you were before the event and know that you now can be that again.

13.  Take deep breaths and focus on your breath when you feel angry.

14.  Fill a backpack with rocks representing your past hurts and take a hike. Remove one rock at a time, naming the rock with a specific memory or person or event that has brought you pain and release it. 

Letting go allows you to make space in your life for new and exciting adventures, experiences, loves, and memories. 

Letting go brings you inner peace and reduces stress. 

Letting go allows you to view the world with new eyes ready to create, build and live that life you have always dreamed about.