The Art of Letting Go

August 3, 2008

Will you hold on or will you let go?

There are times in our lives when we need to make such decision. It's really a hard one but we just can't choose both. We can't because we're not allowed to. And even if we were allowed, choosing both would only be futile. Futile because we'd only end up nowhere. So now if you ask me which is really the better option, I should say that it's letting go.

The thing is nobody has full control over his life. Yes, you may be the one who decides for yourself. But you are not the one who decides for other people around you who also affect your life. So when you're stuck in a situation where you are to face such dilemma, choosing to hold on won't do you much good.

If you are to hold on, you're hoping that things will go the way you want them to. But what if, which is more likely than not, they won't? If that happens, then your life would only be worse. Besides, if you continue holding onto something, then it's going to be harder for you to live away from the past. And living in your past is not much different from not living at all. You see things very differently. You always try to compare things with what happened before. And what happened before won't ever be the same as now. Holding on would only make you forget how to appreciate the present, how to appreciate life.

As I said earlier, nobody has full control over his life. So why then do you need to let go? Because it's the only way for life to continue. If you let go, then you let life flow on its own. If you let go, you risk less while knowing that there's a sure reward at the end. A sure reward. It's because whatever the outcome will be, either good or bad, you wouldn't have to start over. You'd only see things that happened as learning experiences. Unlike when you hold on and fail, you'll need time to recover before starting over. Also, if you let go, you won't find it hard to see beauty in your life. You won't be having a hard time dealing with your present. Peace of mind. That is what you'll find.

Though you need to learn it first. Letting go is one of the hardest things in life. It requires a lot of preparation before you can pull it off. There's just no turning back. But let me stress for the last time, letting go is a sacrifice that surely knows how to pay off.