“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 Maraboli, Unapologetically You

Everyday we weave a net of expectations to disappointments, desire to discontentment and winning to loosing. Unlike monks, we have a tendency to get entangled in this web of illusion, distracting ourselves from our true path. But just as cluttering requires de-cluttering, the cloaked emotions from negative feelings need to be released. Holding on to a negative feeling, thought or emotion that is not coming to fulfillment or surpass your capacity to make it happen is shackling you down, just let it go.

Our habit of holding on stems from our ego, where our ego was wronged and the grudge feels like soothing ointment for the pain we felt when we were wronged. The wrong thing will always be easier than the right thing and hating will always be easier than letting go, but as Buddha says, ‘the root of suffering is attachment’, we have to forgo the pain and despair to stop being attached in order to put an end to our suffering. The secret of happiness lies in letting go.

The Importance of Letting Go

Step Forward

A step forward towards a better life, the importance of letting go cannot be emphasized upon enough. The unnecessary burdens of holding on are not allowing us to gravitate to a better future. Everything we do in the present and think of doing in the future lays its root in the past, but if the past is unsorted or still lingering we cannot expect our present to blossom and the future to shine. As we move forward, we cannot keep one foot in the past and be moving with just the other, this mean being stuck in a rut. Chances are the person who wronged us has moved on long back. So, basically who committed the error and earned bad karma is the one enjoying fruits of passion, but the one who was wronged is still waiting for the matters to come to a fulfillment. Let us not do that. Forward is the only way upward.

Freedom

Holding on does not come for free, it is an evil which houses many ills in its cocoon. Fear, depression, sadness and anxiety are few of perpetual members in the Holding on’s clan. And with all these emotions resting in the back of your mind, can you ever expect yourself to truly feel free? We understand, it is quite hard to move on and let go, but nothing worthwhile in life is easy. Everything comes with a cost and the cost you pay for freedom is to let go off the unwanted baggage, not allowing you to go higher. Now, that is not so bad! Freedom from unwanted baggage in exchange of happiness, positivity and great future, well, who would mind paying that price.

Attract New

Energy moves in a similar pattern, i.e. to say a heavy energy will be attracted to heavier, dark or depressed surroundings whereas light & positive energy will be attracted to a happy and bright space. If we wish to enjoy the sweeter fruits in life, we have to be a happy and a positive person, nothing, not even birds flutter in a negative space. Don’t be that space. New things come with new person, new place, new mindset and new surroundings. Let the change happen in all things possible to help you keep away from the past and attract newness in your life.

And lastly, the perfect moment to let go is right now. The present moment is the best moment. There will never be a right time to discharge all the past emotions and disappointment that are not solving your purpose now. Do it now.