“There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life.”
Sometimes, people walk out of our lives; sometimes, best of friends drift apart; and sometimes, we lose a loved one. Somehow, somewhere along in life, we grapple with the choice to hold on or let go. Whether is it broken hearts or lost hopes, it takes tremendous strength to hold onto whatever that remains in spite of all the pain; but it takes remarkable courage to decide to let go.
Deciding to let go is never easy – especially when you have already come so far, put up with all that and sacrificed so much. The thought of destroying what you have built painstakingly over time is just overwhelming, and many would rather see how much more they could take, than to single-handedly allow all that ‘go to waste’ with their own decision to let go.
But sometimes, we do not get to choose – because there isn’t anything left to hold on to. And that is perhaps the most heart breaking of all, because we are only left with broken pieces of remnants that we scramble to keep, that reminds us nothing but the agonies of yesterdays. When what holds our world together is gone, most of us would prefer to cling onto the comfort zone made up by pains we became familiar with, rather than be thrown into a state of confusion of not knowing what to do next.
There will always be the What Ifs of holding on – knowing the true limit of our abilities, and the chances we could have had. And that is why, we need the courage, to make the choice of letting all these go. No, it is not giving up. It is a form of acceptance that you have tried your best, but nothing worked. It is the recognition of your own efforts in ensuring that whatever regrets that remained are worthwhile in your decision of moving forward.
Letting go isn’t a one-day process, and there would be times that we latch back onto the familiar suffering that we prefer out of the fear of the unknown. We have to remind ourselves that holding on only hold us back from progressing; prying our fingers away from the grip may hurt, but it will save you from the aggravation of having plunged to your death just because you missed the chance of taking a step forward.
It is a choice between suffocating yourself in the dwellings of the past, and setting yourself free for a new tomorrow.
Image credits: Well, Peaceful, Happy
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I am really loving your work!
To those who are holding on, there are real (and often painful) reasons to do. Yet, the onlooker just get baffled by it. “Just get on with it!” some will say. To let go, however, is always painful. It is tough to tell yourself that its time to resign to the inevitable, to relinquish control on the impossible and face reality head on.
Perhaps more courage is needed to let go than to jump in,..
Thank you, Matthew (:
Yup, it’s painful; but I’m sure we will manage to sum up that courage somehow, to let it go little by little.
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