Letting Go

“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.”  – Steve Marboli

The story below reflects how at times, we all hold onto unnecessary stress and pain in our lives.

I have found that when I am holding onto unforgiveness for anyone or any situation in my life, I feel heavy and burdened.  Forgiveness is the simplest act and yet we hold onto this pain out of an illusion of justice and for the need to protect our ego.

When we decide that living freely and more compassionately is more important that holding on, we can learn to move forward into our true self and true potential.  The lightness you will feel after forgiving and letting go will convince you it’s worth it.

“You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles.” – C JoyBell

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”

“Letting go with forgiveness, gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.”