The Art of Letting Go

The art of letting go and re-centering our focus on what stayed

We have often been introduced to "detachment," "letting go," and the importance of these concepts. Although I agree with this philosophy and with putting it into action, I suddenly realized that people often talk about detachment and rarely about the things that stay with us.

I began to think: how do we balance letting go with giving our attention to what stays with us?

The beauty of letting things go
and taking care of what stays with you

In terms of letting go, although it is important to appreciate the people we have in our lives, it is crucial to learn how to detach from them or from certain experiences in our lives. Not because we are "playing cool," but to learn that letting go of people is also letting ourselves be free.

Attachment is such a killer to many connections because it not only limits and cages the person we love but also hinders our liberation by holding onto something outside our control, which leaves nothing but disappointment and frustration. The worst case is when we blame the person rather than looking within at our own wounds.

But I hope you are not so focused on letting people go that you neglect to take care of what stays with you—those who show up just to see you while you're grieving what you expected to stay longer or perhaps taking care of the person who stayed with you through the highs and lows: the one you see in the mirror.

My dearest, I hope you are not so caught up in letting go of your bad experiences that you forget you have so many good memories worth keeping and remembering.