An open letter to anyone who struggles with letting go…

 A few weeks ago, I snapped the photo above, outside of my comfy apartment, and shared it with one of my good friends. I captioned it with: “Just wanted to remind you that you are blooming, and I’m so proud of you.” Now, this same flower is beginning to wilt, and die. No matter how dedicated I am to caring for the sunflowers, they lose a few petals and begin to droop over a little more each day. 

The phrase “let it go” along with the practice of “letting go” never came naturally to me. In my mind, “letting go” was interchangeable with the phrase “giving up”.  Letting go meant resigning myself to failure. It was a deep understanding that when I could not handle the situation anymore, I decided to quit. Letting go was met with a sense of disillusionment, and feeling let down. Additionally, there is a comfort in sticking with what I already knew rather than starting something new. I blame that on the libra in me. 

In the practice of learning to let go, I’ve reached the conclusion that letting go requires strength and the conscious choice; it can be terrifying. Letting go also creates space for new beginnings. Letting go is staying where you can see your hands; it is about accepting the “now” without worry about what will come up tomorrow. Letting go has multiple layers like catharsis, acceptance, forgiveness, and mindfulness; the process is not linear. 

Take solace in knowing you are not walking this path alone. Just yesterday, when discussing letting go, my coworker & dear friend made the comment over lunch, “Ah, ‘tis the season.” This opportunity to let go of what no longer serves you is open for you to receive, too. Wherever you are in this journey, I hope a little music can encourage you to keep moving forward. 

Click the link to check out Morgan’s Letting Go. playlist on Spotify!

Morgan Nunberg, MT-BC/L