Strategies for "letting go."

[Ultralight]

After one of the Voluntary Simplicity class sessions I got to thinking about the whole idea of "letting go."

I know the phrase is overused and often wrought with cliche.

But a member of the class talked about her life partner who passed away a few years back. She was still grieving. She still had a very hard time letting go -- not just of memories but also of things that memories were "embedded in."

Now, I am not going to make suggestions to her about letting go, whether she should or shouldn't or how. That is her journey and if she wants my opinion then maybe -- maybe! -- I would give it to her.

But I am asking what strategies you use to let go -- of stuff or memories or past chapters of your life, etc.

I know I have an incredibly hard time letting go of past chapters of my life. Though I will admit that I was not quite so aware of this until the woman in the class talked about her issues with letting go.

Thoughts?

[catherine]

I would write up a thing about letting go, but I have three reports to write before next week, so good thing I've written a lot about letting go already..

During Lent 2009, I devoted all my blog entries to the topic of Letting Go. Here is a link to the search term in my blog "letting go" See what you think! I like the one about "Angels Dragging Wheelies."

https://silententry.wordpress.com/?s=letting+go

[pinkytoe]

The idea of letting go is of great interest to me right now as I am entering a time of transition - retiring today after 15 years in one job and preparing to move from our city of 30 years. "Allow me to surrender" is a quote I heard once. In a way, holding on to what was is sort of like hoarding, isn't it? Grieving might be a different matter though.

[Ultralight]

The idea of letting go is of great interest to me right now as I am entering a time of transition - retiring today after 15 years in one job and preparing to move from our city of 30 years.

Congrats on the retirement! You're livin' the dream! :)

What an exciting time for you.



In a way, holding on to what was is sort of like hoarding, isn't it? Grieving might be a different matter though.

I would say yes, it is. Apt comparison there.


What is challenging you at this juncture? What things are you holding onto that you're contemplating letting go?

[SteveinMN]

Pictures.

I take pictures of the items I cannot just "dismiss". They lurk in a folder on my computer's hard drive. And, on some random day, I'll trip across the images and either enjoy a short happy flashback -- or wonder why I even invested several KB of disk space to this thing.

Events? That's harder. I just try to be mindful that that event was one of many that brought me to where I am now. Good or bad, it had a positive value in my life. I try not to dwell on the past and what could have been.

[Mary B.]

I would write up a thing about letting go, but I have three reports to write before next week, so good thing I've written a lot about letting go already..

During Lent 2009, I devoted all my blog entries to the topic of Letting Go. Here is a link to the search term in my blog "letting go" See what you think! I like the one about "Angels Dragging Wheelies."

https://silententry.wordpress.com/?s=letting+go

catherine, your blog is fascinating and thoughtful. Thank you for sharing it here.

[ToomuchStuff]

Why not use yourself as an example and start by letting go of the continuing hoarding threads and how you went about doing that?:laff:

[Ultralight]

I would write up a thing about letting go, but I have three reports to write before next week, so good thing I've written a lot about letting go already..

During Lent 2009, I devoted all my blog entries to the topic of Letting Go. Here is a link to the search term in my blog "letting go" See what you think! I like the one about "Angels Dragging Wheelies."

https://silententry.wordpress.com/?s=letting+go

I will read after work!

[Ultralight]

Why not use yourself as an example and start by letting go of the continuing hoarding threads and how you went about doing that?:laff:

Hardy-har-har.

It ain't like those threads went ignored. ;)

[pinkytoe]

What things are you holding onto
Most likely the comfort of familiarity. I think one has to put one's self out there though to hasten change and get unstuck. I wanted to loaf for a while but a fantastic (to me anyway) part-time opportunity came up so I will try it. Scary, though...

[ApatheticNoMore]

Grief? Cry as long as you need to. It will end. It has it's own season. Crying does not last forever.

Mementos of a person or time? Keep a few and take pictures of the rest.

Anger over the past? Honestly I don't know. Some is ok. Some say it's really grief, the thing is it's not easy to get from anger to grief. I just override it when it damages relationships etc. in the present.

[Zoe Girl]

this will be supportive (warning bad words)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLYzP2yfK0c

[Tenngal]

I am having a hard time "letting go" of my various collections and household items I don't really use anymore.
Collected Blue Willow, Red Willow, all kinds of glass over the years. I need to start using them in day to day life, or give them up.
Don't want my kids having to dig thru all this stuff when I am gone. I have good memories associated with this because of all the fun
involved in finding them. This is what estate sales are made of.