“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need.”
–Lao Tzu

What’s that thing you’re holding on to and can’t let go of? It is money? A past hurt someone inflicted on you? Are you attached to your prized possessions? Or are you attached to a relationship? How about one of your nasty habits? Is it a judgment about someone or something? Or are you up all night clinging to worried thoughts about your career?

Clinging to anything, good or bad, creates suffering. It causes frustration, stress, anger, and anxiety because things aren’t always the way you want them to be. The antidote is to simply let go. However, letting go is one of the hardest things to do. But there is tremendous freedom in releasing things that no longer serve you. And if you see things through compassionate glasses, you’ll learn to let go and develop a deeper understanding of yourself and others.

Holding on tightly to what’s done and overdue is like a ball and chain keeping you in place. It stops you from taking the necessary steps to improve your life. You’ll miss the opportunities before you leading towards a more positive path. Once you break the chain, you become free to move on and be open for new ideas and experiences.

But we are afraid to let go. It hurts. And it makes us feel vulnerable without our attachments. We fight and hold on to what we want and what we don’t want; what we think is right and what we think is wrong. The things we cling to act like protective shields preventing us from facing our deepest hurts, fears and emotions. We’re scared of losing our ego being forced to face what truly lies within.

This fear stems from lack of trust. You must trust that once you let go, God aligns your life to what serves you greater. Everything you need right now already exists in this moment. You just have to see it and believe it. By letting go, you begin to go with the flow creating more peace within. You accept and love things just as they are with an understanding that all things happen for a reason.

When you let go, deep healing occurs in your mind and body. Your attachments dissolve away as the heart begins to open like a fresh, spring flower. Holding on with tight fingers prevents the light from shining through holding the darkness within. But once you release the grip, light floods back into your spirit setting your soul free from the darkness.

Letting go truly is an art that must be practiced daily to see improvements. Here are some things I have tried to let go for inner peace. Maybe these will help you as well.

Let Go Into
When you let go of something, let go into something else. If you are clinging to a judgment, let go into patience and tolerance. If you are holding on a past hurt, let go into healing and forgiveness. Letting go into something positive focuses on what is gained instead of what is lost. By filling your life with what’s beneficial, makes the letting go process easier and more peaceful.

Gratitude
Be grateful for everything you have. Learn to love things just as they are without the desire to make things the way you want them to be. Love yourself and your family and friends right here, right now—imperfections and all. Sit down and write a gratitude list. You will be amazed of all of the wonderful things already existing in your life.

Surrender
You want complete control of your environment while becoming attached to an outcome envisioned in your mind. But if the actual outcome doesn’t match what you wanted, this creates frustration and disappointment. If you surrender and drop the need for control and accept things as they enfold, you will experience peace and joy. You learn to love whatever arises in that moment because that’s exactly how it’s meant to be.

Surrender all of your hopes and dreams, your worries and judgments and release them into the universe. It’s ok to have goals and ambitions and to have beliefs and ideas, but it’s the clinging to these things that creates suffering in the mind. Awaken to the truth that you never know what the future holds. But no matter how you feel, surrender and trust that God has greater plan. He will make sure things happen in perfect, divine timing.

If you are clinging to something and can’t let go, try this visualization. Think of whatever you are holding on to and place it in the palm of your hand. Now close your fingers creating a tight fist. Then, gently open your hand. Imagine the thing you are clinging to as a ball of shining, white light circling in the middle of your palm. Take one last look at it. But look at it with compassionate glasses giving it love, honor and respect. Inhale deeply, and then exhale blowing a big breath onto this ball of light. See it exploding and releasing sparkling lights into the air in front of you, all around you, to the ceiling, up into the sky and expanding out to the heavens above.

Feel your body release and relax tension as you let go. Let your mind become clear like a calm lake. Allow your heart to open and expand giving it space for light to enter once again. Let it go, let everything go allowing your soul to be at peace.

And now smile for you are free.