Let It Go

Sometimes we hold on to things, relationships, jobs, cities, identities way past their expiration date.

We do this often because we align ourselves with and define ourselves by, these things.

But what if while those people, places and things played a very real role in making us who we are, they are now holding us back from who we could be, who we were MEANT to be?

For many of us, we live the first half of our lives mindLESSly. We have labels, goals, aspirations, and dreams for the future, which ww never stopped to question.

We also rarely stop to to question our routines, relationships, preferences and reactions.

We put so much pressure on how we think our lives are supposed to look. We are constantly being shown through advertising, social media, familial expectations and conditioning, a false ideal. We believe that if we could just reach this pre-conceived ideal, we'd be happy. We'd win the game of life! THEN we could finally exhale, love ourselves, and live our lives with abandon!

For many of us, we wake up one day day and we realize, something isn't working. Life isn't the way we we expected it to be. We wonder what we did wrong.

The answer is nothing. We did nothing wrong, but the things that got us to where we are today are not necessary meant to carry is into our future as we grow and evolve.

I remember getting dressed in my late 20s and looking in the mirror, and being a little startled. The outfit I had put on was not only a little tight, the style of it no longer fit who I had become. I had been mindlessly dressing the same way I had since college.

This happens in so many areas of our lives.We keep "wearing" so many things that no longer fit us. Relationships, careers, and self image are just a few of those things. We don't often take the time to look at whether everything we have accrued still serves both who we are today and who we want to be in the future.

In my last column I spoke about stepping back and honestly evaluating what you are resisting in your life right now.

Another area to examine, is where are you clinging on to things that got you where you are, but no longer serve the very best version of you?

I'm not suggesting you cut all ties and burn all bridges. I am suggesting in some cases loosen your grip, and yes, in other cases, let it go.

"You live you learn.You love you learn.You cry you learn. You lose you learn." -Alanis Morissette

Next week, we will tackle the delicate subject of our oh-so-precious ego.