Letting go is often thought of as a negative, painful experience, but it doesn’t have to be.  When you view letting go as a way to make space for growth, for what your future can be, instead of feeling like you have to relinquish the past, it can actually invoke a feeling of joy.

There are many times in our lives when we are faced with letting go: becoming a mama, changing jobs, moving, the death of a loved one, shifts in relationships with friends.  All of these experiences can be difficult and cause us to identify ourselves in new ways.  Going through these experiences does not mean that we let go of our old identity, the stresses of our old job, our connection to an old home, a loved one, or a friend.  These linger with us, and sometimes the energy that they drain from us keeps us from moving forward in our lives.

It’s been over 15 years since I was in that place that I preserved through emails, letters, and journal entries.  I’ve long been gone from there, but part of me had never left.  By making the decision to physically break a tie that bound me to a big part of my past, I was able to actually let go.  When I’d thought about getting rid of those papers in the past, it felt like I couldn’t do that, like I had to hold onto them.  I can’t even pinpoint why, but perhaps it was so I had them as proof of what I’d made it through.  Living my life how I want to live it is proof enough for me now, and releasing the reminder of pain made the letting go painless.

Letting go does not mean forgetting.  It doesn’t mean never looking back.  It doesn’t mean that these experiences become less of who you are.  Letting go releases you from being controlled by the past and instead offers you space to grow into the person you want to be in the future.

Perhaps you will choose to create your own letting go ritual.  Maybe it will be as often as every full moon, or maybe you will save it for big life changes or just when it feels right.  Guide yourself to what helps you to let go so that you can be open to whatever your life brings you next, ready and waiting with joy in your heart.

Peace, Love, and Wellness,

Xandra

When you let go of physical items, you can see that space opens up for new things to enter into your life, whether that means new objects or the peace of mind that having some empty space brings you.  When you let go of internal “stuff,” not only does space open for new things, but for growth as well.

When we fill ourselves with worry, anxiety, old fears and experiences, a lot of energy is used and can hold us back from moving forward.  When we can release what is no longer serving us, not only do we sometimes feel lighter, like we are no longer carrying a heavy burden on our shoulders, but we can more clearly see the path in front of us.

Even before I burned those old letters, setting the intention to do so, being okay with it, shifted things for me.  It changed my perspective.  I think I had always assumed that this time in my life would always be part of me, part of how I defined myself.  The idea had never arisen that I could let go and move on from this place of pain.

I could feel, just from the decision to release, that I was creating space for what I wanted my future to be.  For so many years I spent time worrying about when those down times would come back to me.  They haunted me like something inevitable waiting around the corner.  By letting go, I gave myself permission to grow into the person that I want to be instead of staying the same scared person of my past.

What growth can you allow for in your life by letting go?

Peace, Love, and Wellness,

Xandra

I recently made the decision to physically let go of a period of time in my past.  It took me almost two decades to get to this point, but I knew that I was ready and this was something that I had to do in order to move forward with my life.  It did not come easily, but it was not a struggle.  It was part of a long, unfolding process.

It took some work to get the fire started, but once I did, I got to see the beauty dancing in the flames.  Blackened edges of paper and then they were suddenly curled up and consumed by the flames.  As I added more papers, the heat grew and I could feel the release deep within my being.

Here is what I’ve come to learn about letting go:

• You have to be ready.

• The ritual can exist in your heart.

• Space opens for growth to begin.

• The experience can be joyful and painless.

More on these in the days to come….