I often mention letting go. Almost in every new piece of content I put on the blog.
That’s because it’s one of the best things we can do in our life. It’s the process of letting things be – the ones we can’t change, of eliminating the thoughts that shouldn’t be on our mind, of removing negative feelings.
And the result is that we feel free, contented and peaceful.
We make room for inspiration, joy and gratitude because we let out the worries, negativism and judgment.
But what exactly is the stuff we need to free ourselves from so that we can have a life of freedom and purpose?
Here they are:
Things to Let Go of to Bring Happiness and Freedom in Your Life
1. Regrets.
Having regrets about the past is pointless, if you think about it. But most people do have them.
They bring pain, they make us stop living in the now and just relive past moments and suffer again.
But if you realize that it’s all gone and there’s nothing you can do about it, you’ll understand that the only logical behavior is to live in the present moment. After all, it’s where you create your future. And what’s happened before has nothing to do with it.
2. Blaming.
People often blame others for what they did. But that only makes things worse.
Instead, take responsibility for your own actions. You did what you did. Now move on, learn from it and do it right next time.
3. Possessions.
Some of us are too attached to objects. And, in the end, the stuff we own controls us.
The more material things we care about, the harder it is to throw them away. And they bring memories from the past back to us, often making us feel sentimental and sad.
I say throw away what you don’t use. There’s no point in letting it take space in your home and your mind, you just need to take care of it, clean it and fix it.
4. Doubt.
It has a tendency of appearing when we need to take a decision, even if it’s one we do daily. And it brings insecurity in us. We stop thinking rationally and end up making the wrong decision.
So be sure in your opinion. Stay focused. Let go of doubt.
5. People’s opinion.
That’s a big one.
We spend too much time worrying and analyzing other people’s behavior, trying to make them like us, looking for their approval and craving their attention.
If all that energy is spent in improving ourselves and trying to analyze our own behavior, we’d succeed a lot more in life.
Stop caring about what people think of you. No matter what you do, someone will always disagree. It’s better to let it go now and move on with your life.
6. Being right.
You don’t really need to be right all the time. After all, communication is all about learning, sharing opinion, listening to others, making compromises.
And if you always try to win in relationships, you’ll lose a lot more.
So let go of the need to be right. See what others have to say. Maybe it’s worth it.
7. Worries about the future.
Some people choose to spend their life in the future. Not visualizing their success and planning adventures, but fearing what might happen tomorrow.
They play all these negative scenarios in their heads, and imagine the worst that can happen. Always expect things to go wrong and never actually enjoy the present moment.
Needless to say that almost nothing of this actually happens. But still, they ruin their life living this way.
The solution is to accept that you don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Be prepared if it helps you, but don’t make it your priority. Choose to live now.
8. Comparing.
What’s the point of comparing your life to those of other people?
It only makes you see things they have that you don’t, and that makes you unhappy.
Realize that no two people are alike. We’re all individuals and have been through different stuff so that we could become who we are today.
And instead of concentrating on other people’s lives, why don’t you try to find the reasons to be grateful for what you already have?
9. Judgment.
Also, stop judging others. You can never know what they’ve been through. And most of the times there’s a much deeper explanation for the way they behave.
So be compassionate. Let go of judgment and be kind to everyone.
10. Anger.
Here’s how I deal with it.
That’s some of the stuff we need to let go of in order to live a fulfilling life, smile and be able to enjoy the now and make the best of what we have.
Letting go can become a habit if you practice it long enough. It starts with the deep realization that each of these 10 items hurts us, and is something we don’t need in our life. And it’s so easy to just remove it.
Take your time. Get to know yourself better and be mindful of moments when you show anger, compare yourself, want to be right or blame someone. Just noticing when you do it and telling yourself to stop is a big step in your personal development process.
Start today. Start small.
Breathe deeply and let go.
What other things can you add to the list? There are so many other negative habits and emotions we care with us that should be eliminated.
