Are there people, places, and things you need to let go of?
Sometimes we have to let go to allow better things to come into our life
I entered the new year feeling a little different than in the past new year’s. A sense of heaviness within me has been present and to date, it’s hard to explain. As I continue to better understand this heaviness within me, I’m curious, how are you doing? Have there been changes for you? What do you hope for? Is there anything that you need to let go of?
Some ideas and thoughts
My typical approach to life and when working with clients is almost always forward-focused. This means encouraging others not to dwell on the past by placing concentration on what is not helpful. To better explain, dwelling on things you and I wished we would have done or didn’t do, words we wished we would have spoken or not, mistakes we made that affected ourselves and others, or choices that turned out different than what we desired. Allowing our past to take up residency in our mind is powerful and over time can create a lot of negative thoughts and feelings, and leave us stalled out.
But sometimes our past can help us
As I already mentioned, focusing on what is not helpful does not usually do us a lot of good. But what if instead of dwelling, you and I decided to glance back over the past briefly, to help us learn and discover what we might do differently the next time to create a more positive result.
And What if
You and I decided to glance back and let go of what we are still doing or holding on to from our past that is not helping us walk forward with hope for the upcoming year?
This is what I have decided to do……Glance back and without staying…….I am identifying the people, places, and things that are weighing me down and not helping offer hope for the future.
Here’s what I’m letting go of…….
Worry – There is so much in our life to be worried about. Are our children making the right choices? Is our spouse being honest and true to us? Are we going to get sick? What does the future hold for me and my family?…… and the worries go on and on. When it comes to worrying, I have decided to commit to doing my part and let God work in the areas that I have no control over. A mantra that I say when I find myself worrying is from author John Eldredge and his “One Minute Pause” App. I repeat this over and over as I take slow deep breaths: “I give everyone and everything to you God” …. It is amazing how repeating this invites peace in to replace the worry. I may have to repeat it often throughout my day! And that’s okay!
Negative people– I am the first to be there for people who are feeling down or need help. I want to always show compassion and warmth whenever possible, but to protect my well-being, I must be aware of how spending too much time with negative people can bring me down and affect my overall outlook on the future.
Negative News-Yes I want to know what’s going on in my world, what the weather forecast is going to be for the week, but I do not need to know the political drama that spreads division among my world. I’m turning off that portion of the news and limiting myself to what I need to know and what gives me informative facts and allows me to keep moving forward.
Negative Self Talk- I can be the best at beating myself up and criticizing all that is going wrong, but that only serves to make me feel less than. From today forward I am committing to you that I am going to talk to myself as if I am my best friend and remind myself of who my creator sees me as, unique and wonderful (Psalm 139). Yes, I will hold myself accountable but I will also be kind to myself and remind myself often that I am doing a great job!
Doing it All By Myself-A lot of things I can do by myself but I am owning up to the fact that I am limited. Asking others for help, helps me to be a better version of myself. More peace, more energy, and more time to enjoy life instead of building resentment because I am exhausted and feel like I am being taken advantage of.
Hurry – Life circumstances, traffic, and other out of my control situations will always make me feel late or pressed for time. When I feel this, I will stop, take a deep breath, and tell myself, “At this moment, I will not hurry!”
Putting too Much on My Plate – Yes I will continue to make daily to-do lists to remind me of important appointments and what needs to be done. But, at the end of my day, I will put down the list and add the unfinished to tomorrow’s list.
Feeling False Guilt About Saying No – No more……Before saying yes, I will honestly look at what I’ve already committed to and if I have scheduled and consumed the hours allotted to others, I’m done😊
Now it’s your turn. What do you need to let go of? I would love to hear from you!
When we let go of the weight…. we open our hearts, our minds, and our lives for what is good and fulfilling, and what inspires us to move forward with hope.
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