It has become such a catchphrase “let it go!”, the universal piece of advice that is so easily uttered yet so hard to put into practice. Especially in the heat of the moment when we are cursing, throwing tantrums, and stomping our feet because someone or something is getting in the way of us creating that happy ending to our story – or at least that is what we believe to be true. 

The fact is that many people relish in the drama and are simply not ready to let go. However, if you have the desire to transform aspects of your life such as your career, level of performance, relationships, or health, you need to learn to make space for new perspectives, and yes, you guessed it, let it go!

But what exactly is the “it” we are referring to? How can we possibly release it? There can be many aspects in our lives that we are holding on to that prevent us from living in the present and freeing up our precious potential. For this series, I chose the philosophy of Taoism to help me elaborate on six things we need to learn to let go of to live a more balanced life:

1. 1. The past
   2. The future
   3. People
   4. The desire to rush things (one of my pet peeves)
   5. Excess
   6. Ego

Our past is such a big part of our story. How we grew up shaped our views, our values, and our identity. In our past, we most likely experienced some pain or trauma and felt rejected, misunderstood, or even worse mistreated. Releasing the past is not always easy. We must confront what happened to us and dissect it in a way that gets to the core of the events. Here are some questions I want you to ask yourself in the process:

1. 1. What actually happened vs. what is my interpretation of the facts? 
   2. What aspects of the situation were under my control? 
   3. Most importantly, what did I learn from the experience that will better equip me in the here and now? 

Letting go of the past requires acceptance of what happened. Practicing acceptance is a skill that needs to be learned over time and includes not taking things personally, releasing expectations, and reframing your mind. For more details on the process check out one of my previous blogs https://belladonnacareercoach.com/ten-practices-to-unleash-the-career-of-your-dreams-2/.

Once you have reached a level of acceptance and can let go of your past, watch for the blessings to occur. Suddenly, you will feel lighter, less burdened, more present, less stressed, more connected, and more joyful. You’ll see, it is all worthwhile because you have opened the possibility to inner transformation. 

As a certified coach, I help professionals with mindful transformations. I have created my signature program, SOAR (the acronym stands for the four phases of the program: seek, outline, awake and re-learn). Contact me to learn more at angela@belladonnacareercoach.com.