“Letting Go”
It is one of the hardest things to do sometimes. And yet one of the most necessary.
Many things hold us back in life… if we let them.
And many things will weigh us down… if we let them.
To travel far and fast we must travel light.
I am an avid backpacker. I love thinking about the fact that all I need to survive I can carry on my back.
There are many things I carry with me that I don’t necessarily need but I like to have. For instance, I went a long time without any type of fancy cooking set. I finally bought one this past year. It has made the experience all the more enjoyable. And yet, each time I add a new “piece” to my gear I am just weighing myself down more.
I say all that to say that you don’t need much in this life to enjoy it…
Find a balance. Think about some things that you can let go of today. They don’t have to be things that are holding you back necessarily, just weighing you down.
One thing I am learning to let go of is the perceived importance of other people’s opinions. Trying to please other people has certainly brought me down a lot. Letting go of their opinion’s and their importance to me has freed me up greatly. I haven’t swung over to the opposite extreme of listening to no one, but I have certainly limited my intake of “unsolicited” advice.
There are too many scenarios and situations to name. Sometimes there are things weighing us down and holding us back that we do not even realize. Much of our grief and frustration can come from these unknown weights and restraints. Shake them off and learn to be free!
What is weighing you down in life?
What is holding you back?
What is one thing you need to “deal with” so you can go back to living your life the way you see fit?
Hi Jeremy,
Great post. For many years now I have worked on letting go – of needing attention, of wanting to be popular, of steering my way through life based on other people’s directions. It hasn’t been easy but I do feel more my own person today than I did 5 years ago.
I suppose right now as a blogger I should work on letting go of the need to have big stats to prove that I’m succeeding, and perhaps also letting go of the need to read everything in my swelling reader!
Your example of being able to carry everything you own in one backpack appeals to me. At the moment I’d need about two trucks following me around! How to reduce that to the bare essentials is a real challenge…
Daphne’s last blog post..How Does Your Life Script Read?
Hi Jeremy,
“One thing I am learning to let go of is the perceived importance of other people’s opinions.”
I definitely agree with this point. By being able to let go of the feeling of importance of other people’s opinion will prevent us from trying to please everybody which is the best way to make ourselves miserable.
Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
Vincent’s last blog post..10 Tips To Help You Sleep Better
Hey Jeremy,
This one is unfortunately too easy for me. I’m a people pleaser. At times to the detriment of my own best interests. Struggled with it my whole life. I’m a little better than what I was, but it still affects my day to day existence.
Good advice here, as usual.
Cheers!
George
Tumblemoose’s last blog post..The tumblemoose community is the best
I am glad you bring this up because so many of us are held up by trying to please others. We listen to their criticism, complaining, “advice”. Instead we should be just doing more, not thinking.
I personally for years have gone through life listening to others and not getting anywhere,finally now I am beginning to pave my own path. It’s not perfect but I have grown and developed so much more in the past 2 months then the past couple of years.
The difference is staggering.
tom’s last blog post..Why do we ask “what do you do for a living?”
Hi Jeremy. You know what occurred to me — this is what I LOVE about blogging — so many realizations drop in while reading and commenting. Anyway, it occurred to me that when people give advice or their opinion, it’s usually about them anyway. How many times have you heard the phrase, “If only I could take my own advice.” So your statement about the “perceived importance of other people’s opinions” is right on! This is definitely something I need to work on.
Davina’s last blog post..How Curious Moments Add Value
@ Davina – You are right. I love being able to share and I love to see how people react to my writing. Apparently there are a lot of people that need to work on this. And we can do it together.
@ Tom – Thank you for taking the time to comment. Always glad to see a new face. I think you got it right. We should be doing more, although I don’t know if I can think less. 😉 But yes, paving your own path is the way to go.
@ George – Ahhh, the dreaded phrase that is people pleaser. I have used that phrase a lot lately. It’s funny how you make decisions against your own best interests. We know that can be a good thing. However, we have to be careful that it doesn’t effect our own ability to continue to live a good life and help others.
@ Vincent – You are right. Trying to please everyone is just setting you up for CERTAIN FAILURE!
@ Daphne – You make a great point. I should probably care less about my stats too. Especially after this past roller coaster week. To a certain degree we need others peoples wisdom and advice, but the first thing we need to learn is discernment. And sadly I think a lot of that comes through trial and error and just living your life the way you see fit. So consult the experts on narrow areas of your life, but be extra cautious on any advice that is given that deals with broad swaths of your life. No one can be that wise about your own life except you.
Cheers,
Jeremy
This is awesome, Jeremy, and it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I find that my past in general is what I need to let go of. The negative stuff etched into my heart, mind, and soul during the domestic violence still weighs me down sometimes. I’ve been working on letting it go – guess it’s taking longer than I thought it would. 🙂
Very inspiring. I gave it a stumble! 🙂
*smiles*
Michele
Michele’s last blog post..Don’t Let Your Past Keep You from Your Future
Thank you! This was excellent for me to read this morning, it really got me into examining myself and what is holding me back. Obviously we are typically our own worst enemy and I am working diligently to become the best I can be physically and mentally. This was awesome! Have a great day!
Joe’s last blog post..4 Steps to Manifesting Lifestyle- Part 3
Hi Jeremy
I liked this – what especially struck me was the phrase ‘ ..if we let them’. I always have choice .. maybe not always to events, but always to how I perceive and react. It’s not easy to accept my choice as it means taking responsibility … is there anyone who has NEVER felt like a victim?
I struggled for many years letting go of the desire for people to like me or to have a good opinion of me. One thing that helped was accepting that in fact it’s not someone’s opinion of me or what they say or do that’s the problem. The greater problem is my perception and reaction. I can choose to feel bad about it and let my self esteem suffer, or I can choose to enjoy it. After all, we are all different and it’s inconceivable that everyone can like me or agree with me.
For myself .. I’m struggling to let go of always having to be busy and occupied. I’d like to ‘be’ more and ‘do’ less.
Ian
Ian Peatey’s last blog post..Signs of life
@ Michele – Letting go of things can take a long time. We have very strong attachments to things that we don’t even realize. But I am a firm believer in the idea that “time heals all wounds.”
@ Joe – Well thank you for taking the time to comment! I am happy to be an inspiration!
@ Ian – We can certainly PLAY the victim, but it never seems to work in our favor. We are better off learning to empower ourselves. You make really good points! It really is inconceivable to be liked by everyone. Obama only won with 51% of the vote and he is a pretty likable fellow! And I am also struggling to let go of the need to be busy. Funny how we get to that point. I think it is, like you said, and effort to be more and do less.
Cheers,
Jeremy
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