Choose to Let Go
Growing up, I loved to sing and perform, and I often did so in choirs and plays at school and in my community. I loved it so much, that I took a chance and auditioned to attend the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts—and I was delighted when they accepted me. I began my sophomore year of high school there, believing the integration of arts with academics would be the best school experience of my life.
But I quickly learned that my beliefs were incorrect. While I made good friends, had great experiences, and enjoyed the arts portion of my schooling a great deal, I found myself unchallenged—even bored—in the academic arena. Supported by my parents, I chose academics over the arts, letting go of the opportunity to attend that school and returning to my former high school for the remainder of the year. It was a bittersweet decision for me at 15, but letting go of that opportunity opened the way for other challenges and led to other opportunities. And even though I sometimes wonder, “What if I’d stayed? Where would I be today?” I haven’t ever regretted that decision.
When you come up against a roadblock, change, challenge or disappointment, you really have three options: try to change it, remove yourself from it, or let it go. I know many people who feel that last option is being weak, that letting go is somehow the same as giving up. But letting go can be a powerful action that brings greater peace of mind, and it actually takes a great deal of strength. When you choose to let go—of being right, of resentment or regret, of your own agenda or plans, etc.—and I mean really let go, you are choosing peace of mind. And you can discover a world of possibilities you didn’t know existed.
What have you chosen to let go of lately? How did it increase your peace of mind? Let us know by sharing in a comment.
And if you’re not sure where to start when it comes to letting go, I recommend checking out this fantastic list of 40 things you can do to let go for some useful tips.
Love and light,
Jennafer
I will have to put your quote somewhere I can ready everyday for a while.
“Letting go can be a powerful action that brings greater peace of mind.”
It’s my hope that finding the peace of mind will help me be open to new opportunities. The power of changing your mind does changes your life.
Beautiful post. Letting go is one of the hardest things to do – western culture teaches us to have a laser focus and a death grip on what we have or want, leaving not a lot of room for letting go of what no longer serves us. I have been working on letting go of my unrealistic expectations of myself…it is an active choice, and powerful when it works…
Working on letting go of past pain. It isn’t easy when it runs so deep…. but letting go feels like the best solution. Trading pain for peace.