I recently bought a necklace in Los Angeles. It’s a weathered gold necklace with an old key on the end of it. A key someone used to own to what I would imagine was a mailbox of some kind. I bought the necklace because it had the words “Let Go,” engraved on it. I thought it was a nice reminder that some times in life we just have to let go.

As I walked up to the counter to pay for it, I realized there was a note attached to it that said: “Give this key away to someone when they need it more than you.” I’ve been hanging on to it and wearing it, unsure of who that person is just yet. And the more I wear it, the more I’m reminded of how often we need to let go.

What if we could learn the art of letting go? What if the key is a representation of a key to happiness and little by little, in letting go we could experience more happiness? There are so many things we hang on to that can effect our levels of happiness. If only we could just…

Let Go Of…

Our stories.

Our fears.

The pain.

Sadness inside our souls.

The perceptions we have about our pain or sadness.

People who no longer serve the betterment of us.

Toxic relationships.

Our bad habits.

Let Go Of…

The ideas we have of being perfect.

The negative thoughts rummaging through our minds.

Worries about tomorrow or regrets about yesterday.

The stress. Breathe it out.

The childhood that may not have been picture perfect.

Our parents whether we are holding on to hurt or comfort.

What others think or giving weight to living as others want us to be.

All the bad things that happened to us.

Let Go Of…

Living anywhere but in the present moment.

Suffering.

Bitterness or anger we are carrying around for others or even ourselves.

Guilt and shame.

Escaping, running or hiding – because life surprises us when we look it square in the eyes.

The lies we tell ourselves to rationalize behaviors we know aren’t in line with who we really are or want to be.

Our masks, walls or guards for those who deserve to know the real deal.

What grips us.

People’s words while instead paying attention to their actions.

Let Go Of…

All the busyness, hustle and bustle.

Incessant planning and controlling.

The need for immediate gratification. After all, pleasure is most enjoyed slowly.

Not feeling good enough.

Comparison.

Judgment whether of ourself or others.

Rejecting faith or spirituality based on religion or lack of knowledge.

Let Go Of…

Our ideals of what happiness should or needs to look like.

Expectations that limit reality.

The need to make our name important. We are already important and we will be important to those we are meant to see our importance.

Our excuses.

The procrastinations.

The inability to be flexible or go with the flow at times.

The idea that settling is easier than patiently waiting for what we deserve.

Everything that doesn’t contribute to our happiness.

When I say “let go,” it doesn’t mean it discounts or discredits anything that has happened to us or anyone in our life. What it means is that we stop giving up pieces of our happiness for things or people that don’t need or deserve to be part of our future. It means we make a conscious decision to stop clinging onto to anything that doesn’t serve our happiness.

Letting go offers us all a tiny miracle every time we release our grip.

We can’t reach great if we are holding onto good enough.

We can’t reach ultimate bliss if we are holding onto things that take our joy away.

We can’t reach our best if we are holding on to parts of the worst.

We can’t create the next chapter of our lives if we are still reading the previous one.

Letting go is hard. There is no doubt about it. But often times, holding on is even harder.

It is a practice in trusting God with our faith knowing that He will direct our steps. Each time we let go, we are presented with another stepping stone to where He wants or needs us to be. If we can view it as preparation for the next part of our journey, perhaps it helps us to see the bigger picture.

When we learn to let go, we allow the process of life to happen. Certain things and people are only meant to be around temporarily to help us learn the lessons we need to learn in order to grow and evolve into the person we were meant to be. If we get stuck on a person or event, we take away from the lesson they were sent to teach us.

Letting go is a delicate act of accepting the lesson as we pave the way for the new to arrive into our lives. After all, if our hands are full of yesterday’s junk, how can we reach for something new? What’s right will arrive as soon as we let go everything keeping us from having eyes to see it when it does.

Letting go is forward movement. It is a practice. It’s a commitment to our self-respect and self-awareness.

Letting go is graceful. It is a spiritual awakening, every single time.It’s a faithful and hopeful exercise that strengthens us in the end.

What can you let go of today?  Does anything on this list resonate with you?

Letting go is a part of life. It is a brave adventure. It’s where miracles unfold. So, this is me giving each of you the necklace with the key on it – reminding you to LET GO…