Written by Cloe Vaz-Wiggins
Image by @AminaMuaddi
Isn’t it funny that we let go and throw away material things that no longer serve us all the time? Sure, there’s that odd emotional purchase that we hold on to knowing damn well we’ll probably never wear, but jokes aside and when it comes to emotions, it gets a little bit more complicated.
I guess the clue is in the fact that the things that are hardest for us to let go of, are in one way or another emotional.
Whether that’s something that affected our pride or sense of self, something we’re emotionally attached to or really hoped for that didn’t work out the way we envisioned it which makes it that much harder to move on from.
Like those relationships that we know deep down are toxic for us, no matter how many justifications or excuses we try to make, those patterns we hold on to because we’re too comfortable to do better or choose differently or those limiting beliefs that literally weigh us you down every time and we don’t even know where they truly came from.
And isn’t that crazy? We’ve all been in situations that were not good for us and stayed. We’ve all had experiences where the outcome was not what we envisioned and we’ve all carried out habits that we knew were not beneficial.
We all felt guilt, shame and we all felt stuck at some point!
Stuck in those feelings, in certain situations or routines, stuck procrastinating, and stuck obsessing about the past and what could have or would have been.
We’ve all been in these places long enough that sometimes it can be easy to forget that by letting go we can get – unstuck.
We forget that the things holding us back are actually entirely in our control and that we can change it the minute we decide to.
But how terrifying is that? To CHANGE right!
So scary, for some more than others but for the most part, we hold on to things/people/habits/ideas and narratives even when they no longer serve us, because we’re in one way or another scared of change. We’re scared of the uncertainty that comes with it, of not knowing what will happen if we choose differently because what we already know is more comfortable.
But that’s the thing about letting go, we have to take responsibility and be brave. It’s so much easier to shift the responsibility of whatever happened to someone else, but taking accountability for it, recognizing how you enabled it, and had a part in that reality is key to choosing differently and owning your story so that you can create the relationships, habits, narratives and the lifestyle you truly want for yourself.
And you guessed it, no, it is not that easy, it’s absolutely easier said than done, but I guess that’s the theme and actually a great compass to recognise growth and know you’re going in the right direction. If it feels foreign and uncomfortable it will most likely make you grow.
It will absolutely make way for new opportunities and possibilities, new experiences, and new paths no matter how uncertain, uncomfortable or unfamiliar they may seem.
So, repeat with me:
‘I LET GO OF WHAT NO LONGER SERVES ME.’
For this New Year the energy is to:
– Take all mixed signals as a signal and gain clarity
– Choose differently and better for ourselves
– Recognise and let go of what no longer serves us
I wish that in this New Year you move forward and not backward, I wish that you have the audacity to choose new opportunities over what you already know, the courage to choose growth over comfort, and the clarity to keep choosing yourself over and over again.
Because it truly is about the mindset and the consistent choices we make rather than the outcomes.
