Let It Go

Let it go, let it go

Can't hold it back anymore

Let it go, let it go

Turn away and slam the door

I don't care what they're going to say

Let the storm rage on

The cold never bothered me anyway

The winter season came, and ‘Frozen’ swept into our cinemas.

While some of us adults may have already gotten tired of hearing (and for some, singing along with the kids) the “Let It Go”, there is no denying that this animation film has earned its place in the hearts of people across all ages. The memories brought up and lessons taught through the film can be applied to our lives regardless of age group.

As we approach the end of 2019, let’s contemplate the things we need to let go of for a better 2020. Just as the lyrics of the ‘Frozen’s theme song suggests, let’s let it go!

Let go of your past

If you want to achieve success, you can't stay stuck in the past.

“Renew, release, let go. Yesterday’s gone. There’s nothing you can do to bring it back. You can’t “should’ve” done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that attachment. Today is a new day!” – Steve Maraboli

It can feel scary to let go of the past sometimes. We might find ourselves thinking that holding on to regrets, pain and feelings of guilt that come with the mistakes we’ve made or heartbreak we’ve experienced is the safest thing to do. It feels like we should not allow ourselves to let go, otherwise it would downplay the unfortunate things that happened.

However, we need to remind ourselves that we all deserve to forgive ourselves. We all deserve fresh starts and happiness.

Of course, this is not to say that we should not learn from our mistakes and continue holding on to any old toxic mentalities.

Learn from the mistakes, forgive yourself and improve from there onward. Strive to become the best version of yourself and live in the present moment!

Let go of worrying of your future

The future is uncertain. All of us know of this fact, yet we still fall into the habit of worrying about the future as if worrying about it would ensure a certain outcome.

Worrying will not ensure anything regarding the future. Worrying only stresses you out and steals today’s happiness from yourself.

The most we can do is to do something today that might make tomorrow better to the best of our abilities. So stop worrying about the future and live life in the now.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Let go of your fear

Fears are real. Very real.

They come from the bottom of your soul – sometimes sneaking into your consciousness – sometimes shouting loudly if you’re not listening or paying attention to them.

Everybody has fears. We all do. Real or imaginary – fear is a natural part of life. We’re all scared – nobody is fearless. And that’s a good thing – because fear is there to protect us. It’s there to bring into sharp focus situations or actions that might potentially harm us. Fear has one job – to keep us safe.

But in keeping us safe, if we’re not careful, fear can seize control of our thoughts, our emotions – of our lives. Fear should inform us but it shouldn’t define us.

A courageous person is someone who still feels fear but chooses to act anyway.

A person who has fears and makes the choice of avoiding them is someone who lives life constantly resisting.

In truth, the more we avoid our fears, the more they grow in magnitude so that eventually they become so large that we feel hopeless to ever be “free” of them.

The secret to letting go of any fear is doing the opposite of what you instinctively desire to do. Instead of running away from the tornado, you must stop, see the tornado coming towards you, and simply stand there.

‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise’, the choice is yours.

Let go of toxic relationship

It is easy to meet people with toxic, negative vibes in this increasingly cynical society. We can offer them our friendship, but we don’t need to get into a romantic relationship with such people.

It is important to be able to discern toxic traits in a person. Some are easy to spot as they are openly malicious. However, there are those who are more subtle with their toxicity and root for your failure, sometimes subconsciously due to dissatisfaction with their own lives or insecurities.

Remember that you are not responsible for others’ emotions and others are not entitled to using you as their outlet for negativity and toxicity. You are only responsible to behave towards others with care, decency and respect. If you’ve treated the others with those values and the other party still wishes for you to fail or achieve less than your potential. but insists on staying in your life, recognize that you have the right to cut relationships with a person like this.

In this society, we are already surrounded with toxic beliefs that influence us to feel worse about ourselves than we should. It is already difficult enough to battle the toxic thoughts we have towards ourselves, so don’t let negative people add on to your struggle with your inner monologue.

Surround yourself with positive people who genuinely see the worth in you and want you to achieve success.

Let go of anger and resentment

They're a waste of time and a hindrance to your happiness. The sooner you let go, the sooner you can move on.

You do not have to accept every bad thing that has been done to you, but you do have to learn how to forgive and move on. This is not to say that the other person was right or what they did was okay. It just means releasing the negative energy you are carrying everywhere with you so you have the freedom to move forward and create a happy life for yourself.

Letting go of anger and resentment can make way for a happier, healthier life. It is a healing process in which you stop feeling angry towards another person. You no longer want to punish them for what they did and instead understand more deeply what leads people to do things that hurt you. It allows you to realize freedom, the freedom to love and care for yourself.

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

Let go of comparison

When you look enviously at what you think other people have, you will always be dissatisfied. The worst part is, the version of reality you are creating in your head may not even have any basis.

‘Grass is always greener on the other side. Until you get to the other side.’

Sometimes things are not always what they seem. That guy who just upgraded to a bigger house and faster car? His marriage may be suffering as a result of him dedicating too much time to chasing material wealth and neglecting the marriage. That coworker who is climbing the corporate ladder much faster than you? She may be struggling with a serious medical condition.

Simply put, all of us are facing our own struggles no matter how much we may seem to have on the surface.

Be grateful for the things you do have, the successes you have achieved through your own hard work. There will be things others have that you don’t, but there will also be things you have that others don’t.

Remember that another person’s shine does not diminish your own.

So, comparing yourself with others is a waste of time. The only person you should be competing against is yourself.

Be satisfied with what you have and how you are.

Let go of procrastination

Your time is now. If you can do the things now, don’t keep them for tomorrow or the day after. The pending work will not make you feel comfortable. Stop making excuses and stop procrastinating.

If you want to accomplish something, stop waiting and start doing.

Letting go is never easy, and picking up the pieces or adjusting to a new perspective can be very difficult and even painful. That’s why we are here to help you to take the first step forward.

Click here to book your complimentary strategic session now to end the year with a bang and kick start for the year ahead.

We must be willing to let go of the life we have so we can have the new life that is waiting for us.

Here's to ending the year well and a happy new year ahead.