Letting Go to Grow
Letting go is incredibly difficult, and the more we try to hold on to something that’s bound to leave our lives, the more frustrating this process becomes. Why do we fight so much for these things that are on the way out of our experience? I think for me personally, there are a few reasons. I hold on tightly sometimes, and this is something I’m actively working on in my daily life. I hold onto familiar things and my comfort zones even if they are causing me pain and suffering. I cling to control and keeping my environment the same because my brain is terrified of new and different things even if they are better suited for me. I overcome this fear over and over again, and every time I do that, I’m rewarded with a better life than I had yesterday. However, when I’m faced with letting go of something or someone that I’ve been determined to keep, I find myself struggling again with the same issues.
If we look at life like a spiral, we can see that we face the same things over and over again from a new vantage point. We heal and grow through our experiences, and we face the same monster under our bed each time with new eyes and more inner strength than we had last time. This pattern continues until we’re eventually able to conquer the beast and move forward to face new challenges. I think that I sometimes allow my fear of the unknown to keep me from facing these things once and for all because I don’t know what I’ll be facing next. Wouldn’t it be easier to just keep circling this problem that I’m familiar with? Probably. In the moment when you’re facing your fear, it seems easier to stay at the same level so you can feel bigger than your problems. The truth is that we’re not meant to play on the same level for the rest of our lives, and the longer we continue to do that the more miserable we become. Stagnancy is the enemy of growth, and its grip becomes stronger the longer you allow it to hold you back from your purpose.
When you choose to face your fear and set yourself free from this pattern of stagnancy, you open yourself up to receive a deep sense of accomplishment, and new gifts and opportunities will become available to you. It’s scary to level up because we go from being a big fish in a small pond to being a small fish in a vast body of water, but if we stay on the same level forever, we’ll never get to grow beyond our current environment. Staying small is the cost of remaining where you are, and there’s a whole world out there waiting for you to grow to meet it. If your potential is screaming inside you looking for a way out, maybe it’s time to heed the call of your path to find out what you’re truly capable of. It’s scary to put your hopes and dreams on the line by taking a step toward your greatest potential, but it’s heartbreaking to avoid that potential by remaining in your current state forever. We must learn to move with the fear by accepting that it will be our companion throughout the journey. It’s natural to be afraid of the unknown, but it’s possible to overcome this fear by deciding to move forward anyway.
If you can summon the determination to step into the unknown, you’ll find yourself in a completely different world. A world where your dreams come true because you never give up on them. A reality where you continue working diligently toward your goals every day until you see the fruits of your labor and beyond. A future where you get to visit places you’ve only dreamed of before, and thought you’d never see with your own two eyes. This decision isn’t easy because the fear is telling you that you’ll never reach these heights, and you’ll likely die trying, which might feel worse than never trying at all. I’m here to tell you that you’re stronger than the fear of disappointment. Will you be disappointed along the way if you choose to step into the unknown? Certainly, but you’ll be so focused on achieving your goals and creating the life of your dreams that you’ll be able to push past any momentary disappointments on your path. If you choose to stay the same forever, refusing to let go of the old to welcome in the new, you might be disappointed forever. If you choose the scary path of the unknown, you’ll eventually find others in the wilderness who would love to walk beside you and offer their hand when you need one. It might seem dark out here at times, but I promise you’re not alone.