The Art of Letting Go
The Art of Letting Go
By Anaya Ranadive
When I was about ten years old, I remember walking into the house after school with the biggest smile ever, only to be sent out crying as if all hell had broken loose. The reason? My family had to relocate to a whole new country across the world.
Most of my childhood had been spent in one place—my core memories, my friends, everything I knew and loved were there. Why would I leave for somewhere foreign and unknown to me? Looking back at that moment now, I surprise myself when I say that I don't wish to change what happened. Sure, the relentless crying could have been avoided; nevertheless, the philosophy that I got out of it was invaluable. Leaving the life I had was hard and heartbreaking. However, leaving is exactly what allowed me to find myself, amazing people, and new opportunities.
“The Art of Letting Go” is no simple feat. You may feel that situations as simple as giving away a loved toy are trivial, but in reality, it’s the exact opposite. It's often situations like these, where we struggle to let go, that can profoundly affect our entire lives.
One of the most prevalent psychological issues found among people is our attachment to past experiences. This could be due to a failed relationship that once brought you happiness but didn’t work out in the end. Or it could be the regret of not pursuing the dream job you once aspired to clutch. The thing is, we allow ourselves to focus so much on what went wrong or what could have been different, that we end up living in the past. More importantly, we struggle to realize that we’re sitting right here with our eyes closed, the present whiling away the whole time.
Another situation that people profoundly underestimate is the power of expectations. Almost all of us, whether we like it or not, are trying so hard to meet society’s expectations. Consequently, when we fail at something, our consciousness drags us down and hurts our inner selves. This can be transferred into the expectation of trying to reach certain personal milestones or making efforts to achieve a particular body type or fitness level. As a student, I find that, at times, the expectations of pulling off perfect scores are so stressful that I push myself beyond my limits, which in turn strains both my mental and physical health.
The solutions to each and every one of these problems are built mainly on the foundation of letting go. Letting go does not mean ceasing to care or giving up without hesitation. Instead, it encapsulates the true art of the mind, which is our ability to acknowledge, process, reflect, accept, release, and grow.
It begins with recognizing the source of your problem, the attachment that you need to let go of, and understanding if that situation is no longer serving you well. Second comes emotional processing, which includes familiarizing yourself with feelings such as anger, sadness, grief, or even relief. Releasing those feelings rather than suppressing them is something that holds a lot of importance. Third is to reflect and ask yourself what the attachment or expectation meant to you and the role it played in your life. Fourth is to accept; embracing your reality and coming to terms with it makes the process even easier. Fifth is to release; this could mean physically parting with an item, changing your mindset, or making a conscious decision to move forward. And last but not least, growth; take a moment to look back, breathe, and appreciate yourself for coming this far.
“The Art of Letting Go” is a principle that takes time and mental strength to build, but it is a principle that will take you far in life and contribute significantly to finding your inner peace. We all have the skill within us, all we have to do is pick up the paintbrush and begin with one stroke at a time.
