Sometimes We Must Let Go to Find Happiness

How can we let go of the things that weigh us down? Imagine that you are taking a hike and carrying a backpack full of things. It starts to hurt your back, you stop, and you open it to see what is inside. You realize that there are several objects that you really do not need and you get rid of them right away. How do you feel now? Much lighter! You can walk a long way without getting tired and thus get very far.

Well, something similar happens with our feelings and attitudes, which go on accumulating over the years. The moment that you learn to get rid of everything that you do not need, you will start to walk through life in a different way, happier and freer. Are you willing to let go of certain things that are not doing you any good? Start as soon as possible! You cannot imagine how great it is to go through the world with no baggage.

Letting go of the attitudes that are an obstacle to your growth

Among the things that you should try to let go are all those that do not help you relate with others or be a better person. All of those attitudes that limit you and stop you from moving forward in your growth both with others and yourself.

In the first place, set aside the need to always be right. Start with something difficult! Maybe you cannot stand the idea of making a mistake and this brings you a lot of problems with the people you love. If your ego is greater than your desire to get along well with your partner, your parents, or your friends, rethink that feeling and throw it away!

Another thing that would be good to eliminate is the need to control everything, especially what is happening around you. Let others “be.” It is also not necessary for you to point fingers or find a guilty party when there is none… or where you should take responsibility yourself! It is very easy to point a finger at the person beside us, but very difficult to lower your head and say, “it was me.” To the contrary of what we tend to think, that is not being a coward; it is being brave.

Furthermore, let go of that need that governs you to impress everyone. You cannot expect to be something that you are not just so that others like you. Trying to please those around you is really giving you a lot of bad friends who are going to abandon you as soon as you have a problem. The same applies to your partner, work, and anyone else you can think of. From the moment you take off the mask and speak the truth, you will only have those by your side who deserve to be there.

Letting go of the thoughts that weigh you down

Until now, we have told you some attitudes that you should let go of in relation to others. But of course there is a lot of work to be done in reference to ourselves. The thing that weighs us down the most as we go through life are our negative and self-destructive thoughts.

With your way of thinking, you are avoiding triumph, moving forward, and continued learning. Do not believe 100% of your thoughts, especially all of the pessimistic things and those that hurt you. Do not forget that our brains can be used for good or evil… and that depends on you.

At the same time, you should get rid of the belief that you are no use for one thing or another. There is nothing as impossible to achieve as you think. Nothing and nobody (not even yourself) can stop you from being happy and realizing your dreams. Unfold your wings and fly. Do what allows you to be a better person and come ever closer to your goals. Remember that you can be your own worst enemy if you do not trust your own abilities.

Resistance to change is another thing that you should take out of your heavy backpack. In this way, you will be able to follow your path feeling a lot lighter. Changes are good, even if you think otherwise. Get out of your comfort zone, do not settle for the minimum…you deserve the maximum! Do not resist what is different. Give it a chance and it will open many doors for you.

Letting go of fear, pretexts, and the past

These three thoughts or feelings are very heavy and do not serve any purpose. Fear is thinking that something bad will happen to you and so you are not willing to move forward. If you are afraid, it is more likely that you will fail. As Franklin Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” because it is limiting and prevents you from moving forward.

Pretexts are nothing but a shield preventing you from accepting what is happening to you. This may be due to a lack of motivation, too much worrying about the future, not being sure enough in your abilities, etc. Oftentimes, we have thought these excuses up ourselves and they are not true. Do not let yourself stagnate in one place “because it is raining,” “because I don’t know how to do it,” “because I’m going to fail,” etc.

And last but not least, the past, that scourge that weighs us down so much. We do not often remember those beautiful times from the past, just the bad ones, those that have left very profound marks. The past must be ignored because by focusing so much on it, you are not letting yourself see the here and now, much less tomorrow. To end, I want to share a beautiful quote from Lao Tzu: “Everything comes by letting it flow naturally. The world is for those who let go. When you try it, everyone ends up winning.”