Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. It did not use to be. When I was younger, I had family members and a close friend die during the fall, which made me hate it. As I grew into an adult, I shed my past experiences with the season and discovered a great beauty in the process of letting go of the old to accept the new. Now fall has passed, and winter has killed, it is now a time that I often reflect on the past year and start letting go of things that have become heavy and unnecessary in my life. As one of my favorite quotes says, “The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to the let the dead things go.” So how do we let go? It is a romantic concept, but when it comes down to cutting the string between us and things we once loved, it can be harder than it sounds. Here are seven ways I have found to be useful for letting go of things that are no longer healthy for me:
Create A New Playlist
Music is everything and can change your mood in an instant. Create a new playlist that inspires you to let go and move on. Some favorites on my playlist include:
“You Get What You Give” by New Radicals
“Can’t Go Back Now” by The Weepies
“Better Days” by The Goo Goo Dolls
Watch It Disappear
I have a ‘disappearing board’ that lives in my yoga room in my house. I LOVE it. I simply write down something I am struggling to let go of, and what it disappear over time on the board. When I lived in Florida, I would write what I was letting go of in the sand and watch the waves take it out to sea. Find a way to write down what you are struggling to let go of, and watch it disappear. Burn it, wash it away, buy your own disappearing board. Watching a word disappear is such a therapeutic way to say goodbye and process the act of letting go.
Pray
Faith plays a huge role in letting go. Believe that something better is waiting in your future, and pray for God to help you let go and make room for the new. God cannot open new doors in your life until you stop clinging to things that are no longer healthy for you. I cannot tell you how many times I have let go of something and immediately have had incredible doors open for me that I never even knew were there. Trust, let go and watch your life change.
Write
Letting go successfully comes from the ability to reflect on what is and is not working in our lives, as well as what we want our future to look like. Writing is an incredible way to reflect and let your heart speak to you.
Meditate
One of my favorite meditations is about letting go of someone that you are still connected to via an ‘energy cord.’ Before you tune me out, just listen. It is more helpful than you can imagine thinking of physically cutting the cord that exists between you and something you are trying to let go of. The more you practice the meditation, the more you can emotionally disconnect. Listen to the “Letting Go of Pain” meditation here.
Start A ‘Thankful’ Jar
Grab an old mason jar and start writing down things you are thankful for every day. There are amazing things staying in your life, even as you let go of something else. Don’t forget about all you are blessed with as you are breaking free from the old and stepping into the new. Then, when you are feeling a bit down about having to ‘let go,’ pull a few of your ‘thankful notes’ out of your mason jar and remind yourself of everything you have to be happy about.
Spring Clean
Once you know what you need to let go of, truly let go of it. If it is a person, take a break from them and block them on all social media networks. If it is an idea, strip your home and safe spaces of any reminders of that time/idea. ‘Spring clean’ so that you have a clean slate as you step into the new version of yourself.
As we step into the last month of Fall, reflect on what you need to let go of in your life. The concept of letting go is difficult, but the results of being able to separate ourselves from things that no longer add value to our lives are invaluable.
Even now, as I say final goodbyes to a few things before I enter a new season, I feel refreshed, weightless, and happier than I have been in a while. Holding tightly to something that is hindering your life is infinitely more painful than learning to let go and growing into your best self.
– Marji J. Sherman
