Have you ever noticed that you hang on to <whatever>, even though you know you’d be better off letting go of <whatever>? There are many, many different things each of us hold on to, whether those are things or ideas. I was reminded recently of how important it is to let go of things when I dumped a jar of old, stale spice mix into the trash. It smelled fine in the jar, however, when cooked, it had a very, very odd flavor. I decided that it had gone bad; it probably wasn’t going to make us sick, but it wasn’t enjoyable.
I probably spent less than $3 for that jar of spice mix, and yet dumping it in the trash was a nearly agonizing decision for about a second. But then I thought to myself, “This isn’t serving you well at all.” And I let go.
“BUT THE WASTE!!!” I can hear it now. “You spent money on that! You spent time on that!”
What is the larger waste? Eating something you don’t love, or using something you don’t love, or keeping something that isn’t serving you because you spent money on it? Or taking up your valuable energy and time using something up because you spent money on it?
Decluttering can be a form of letting go, specifically, letting go of physical items. How about mental or emotional decluttering? Letting go of thoughts or feelings that no longer serve you is every bit as useful as letting go of physical things. It can be difficult. Everyone holds on to things for different reasons. Fear. Security. Memories. Habit. Comfort. Not all of these are bad things, at least until they get in the way of making progress and being healthy.
Give yourself permission to throw something away – to let go – when it doesn’t serve you in positive ways.
I’ve found a feeling of lightness when I let go of things or ideas that are no longer serving my life in positive ways. It feels healthier. (It is healthier.)
It’s not always easy, but letting go is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
What are you holding on to, whether it’s a thing or an idea, that no longer serves your life in positive ways? What are the obstacles to letting go?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!