Every once in a while, I pause to take a look at my life. More often than not, I’ll find that my life isn’t exactly where I want it to be. When I have these moments, I find myself sinking into depression and anxiety, which frustrates me.
When I feel this way, I decide to “purge” things that don’t help me achieve the life I want.
My past decisions have taught me that I need to have supportive, caring people on my team, people who want to see me succeed. I’ve met people who pulled me down, too, and even encouraged the anxious and depressive episodes, but it’s time for them to go. I’ve let a lot of people go throughout my life. Has it always been by choice? No. Have I regretted cutting someone out later? Never. Sure, I’ll miss the people, but I don’t regret leaving those who aren’t good for me.
It’s taken me years to realize how beneficial letting go is, but I know now.
Other people have never controlled my actions, but they’ve certainly influenced them. Some of these influences were purely negative, though, and they seriously impacted my life. My loyalty kept me in some situations that I knew weren’t healthy for me, but I finally started looking out for myself.
It’s OK to let go of other people.
It’s OK to cut someone out of your life if they aren’t the best influence. Cutting negative people loose has been great for me. It’s allowed me to take steps forward and move in a more beneficial direction.
I’ve also learned that it’s OK to let go of items that bring up painful memories.
I’ve always been a sentimental hoarder. When I finally cleaned out my room, I saw so many useless things that I’d held onto because they had meaning. Still,I had to teach myself that sometimes, holding onto something because it has sentimental value is more painful than it is necessary.
Just because someone or something has been in your life for a long time doesn’t mean that it needs to stay there.
If something causes you pain, it is more than OK to let go of it.
To move forward, admit to yourself that letting go is OK and that you’re still going to live a full life without the things you leave behind. Your life is going to go on, and it might even improve. Letting go of what’s not meant for you will lift a huge weight off your shoulders. The memories behind the item you’re holding onto are still going to be there, but the pain will fade as you release your grip on the past.
Letting go of things or people is hard at first, but just know that in the end, holding onto some of these things, these people, may be the worst thing that you can do for yourself. If something is telling you to let go, set it free. In the end, you will be better off without it.
Feature Image by Vladimir Tsokalo on Unsplash
