What does it mean to let go?

LETTING GO

To "let go" does not mean to stop caring, it means I can't do it for someone else.
To "let go" is not to cut myself off, it's the realization I can't control another.
To "let go" is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.
To "let go" is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To "let go" is not to try to change or blame another, it's to make the most of myself.
To "let go" is not to care for, but to care about.
To "let go" is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To "let go" is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
To "let go" is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own destinies.
To "let go" is not to be protective, it's to permit another to face reality.
To "let go" is not to deny, but to accept.
To "let go" is not to nag, scold or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To "let go" is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day as it comes, and to cherish myself in it.
To "let go" is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
To "let go" is to fear less and love more.
                                                                                  - Author Unknown

These words have become a staple in addiction recovery treatment as a vital tool in helping families who are affected by a loved one's addiction understand their own need for change. This recovery tool, however, is by no means, unique to people who have an addiction problem and those who love them. The plain truth is that no one is free of emotional baggage. And as such, we can easily lose sight of which attitudes and behavior patterns serves us in our healing and which need to be let go of.

We can all fall victim to enabling behaviors in which we are fixing and doing for others what they can and should be doing for themselves. In our desperate attempt to help, we may become overly involved and mentally preoccupied in directing the lives of others to the extent that we stop living for ourselves.

 The emotional cost of trying to live someone else's life for them is that you lose your own life in the process.

In letting go, we realize our own limitations to change, control, and manage those we love. This awareness when translated into constructive action can make living your own life- more manageable, more doable, and more peaceful.

You cannot manage anyone but yourself. Repeat as many times as necessary until you believe it.

Letting go of old behaviors and reactions is not easy, but it is possible for the simple reason that change is always a choice. No one can do this for you, but you.

Let go of the past so you can stop reliving it. Forgive and let go of past mistakes. Let go of your need to save or fix someone else. Give up on perfection, and stop worrying about things you cannot control or change in life.

The sooner you start to let go of what is no longer working for you, the faster you get on the road to happiness and well-being.

For a daily reminder to let go of that which is beyond your control, I encourage you to turn to the Serenity Prayer. There you will find the meaning of true acceptance and peace of mind.


                    … Accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can,
                         And the wisdom to know the difference.
                                               
                                                                                    Reinhold Niebuhr,
                                                                                    Serenity Prayer

Thank you for reading!