I came across this image a while back and was fascinated with the words. Although they spoke to me, I wasn’t sure exactly what they meant for me.
Now over a year later, I muse over these words and know that they helped me to act in my life. I’ve realized that one cannot adopt healing practices until you are ready to let go of those that harm you.
I’m still making discoveries about myself. I’m still learning to let go of what harms me, and choose practices that help me to heal. But I’m on my way and much closer to being myself than I was last year.
Practise What Heals You
Letting go of meaningless relationships, makes room for more meaningful ones
One of the things I’ve let go of is wasting time on meaningless relationships …… inane conversations with people, especially the kind of conversations that lead to gossip. The worst is these people will lead you on, b****** about (pardon my language) others and getting you to voice your opinion too. A few days down the line, you’ll see them running around with the very same people. You never know where you stand with people like this. So I now keep contact to a minimum. I’m polite and keep my opinions about people to myself. I can’t tell you how much peace I’ve got from that.
Letting go of expectations, makes room for acceptance
I’ve also learnt to start letting go of expectation for understanding from people who will never really understand me in my lifetime or theirs. When there are no expectations, it’s easier to get on with these people. I still have a long way to go, but I’m getting there.
Letting go of being right, makes room for being at peace
Another thing that would draw me in is having arguments – even if they were topics well worth discussing, it was easy for me to get drawn into them and invest a lot of energy too. Recently, someone tried to bait me when I shared something on Facebook, and I was wise enough to say, ‘No comments’. I don’t have to defend my opinions, and I can choose my response to yours.
Making these choices have left me with much more emotional energy that I can plow into my creative pursuits – all of which are healing practices for me – writing, blogging, cooking, knitting and painting.
At fifty, I’m finally learning what it means to let go and be free!
What does this image say to you? What healing practices are you choosing?
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Hi Corinne, agree with you and sometimes, it’s better not to comment and waste energy. An empowering post and lesson to learn. The image is powerful and haunting.
Yes, Vishal. I’ve finally learned that!
Love this post! I think this is something that comes with getting older (at least it has been for me) – being unwilling to hold onto what doesn’t work or what hurts and embracing what’s good! Everything you said is so spot on and beautifully put!
Oh yes, Michelle. I’m so glad to have grown up! 😉
Thank you for visiting.
Lovely image and fabulous philosophy. Thank you for the inspiration. I could not agree more with your words. Have a blessed day!
Such a lovely thought, Corinne. We really do need to get out of toxic relationships, they harm us more than we realize.
What a great post – I am going to “Favorite” it so I can come back and re-read it often. I so agree – “I don’t have to defend my opinions” – with that sentiment! People act like you owe them an explanation of why you feel the way you do – nope. It’s my opinion, like or or not, I am not going to get into an argument over it.
After the untimely death of my mother at age 12, I couldn’t sleep. I would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning sometimes, and then have to get up for school. I found that writing haiku and little plays helped in my healing process (although I was only able to progress past a certain point of healing when I sought professional help in my early 40’s). I find photography another healing process for me, especially when I photograph sunrises and sunsets. There is just something about the sun. I wish, truly, I could let go of a couple of relationships, but they are with relatives, and I have to stay in those relationships.
Thanks for sharing, Alana. Having read about your mother’s passing, my first thought is that perhaps it’s an association of darkness and light. I wish you healing and plenty of sunrises and sunsets.
About the relatives, believe me, I understand. I go through the motions too with some of mine.
I have so much to learn in all of these areas about letting go! Thank you for the reminder of its value. 🙂
We all on the same journey, Laurel. That’s the good part.
This is deep..Thank you for sharing this great information about self harming …..sometimes we don’t even know we are hurting ourselves. <3
Right you are, Sacha. We unconsciously cause a lot of harm to ourselves in our attempts to be nice to others.
Letting go … Something I have been practicing for sometime now… but still so much to go before I learn to let go of everything and anything that’s no good for me.
We’re all on the journey, Sheetal. I’ve learned to be patient with myself.
deep words and intriguing picture. well written!
A Rat’s Nibble
Glad you liked it, Meera.
I think if we lived near each other we’d sit for hours talking all about this, Corinne. You write what I’m thinking. I’m a work in progress, like you, and trying to create a space in my head and heart to feel more free. Oh, I could go on. Wonderful post, Corinne!
I wish we did live closer, Cathy. I’m so glad what I wrote resonated with you.
So true, Corinne. So much of life is about acceptance and letting go. I find that most with expectations. I’m learning more to trust the process. Its not easy, but I’m trying.
Letting go of what harms you … Toxic relationships , places , people and thoughts. At all levels , how i wish I could identify them early on and steer clear. How I wish there was this guardian angel warning me of what could harm me ahead. I sometime think i am messed up in my head becoz I find it hard to let go.
truth be said … letting go is scary.
Nice thought provoking post. Thanks.
We do have guardian angels…just surrender to the Universe and allow yourself to be led, Jayanthi. All the rough paths I’ve been down have turned into lessons. So no regrets, just moving ahead.
That is a great mantra to live by. I am a firm believer in making peace within yourself before having a peaceful world. Do not let others to influence your life. What a great post!
Thanks, Anna. I am trying. And you are so right about peace within.
You are absolutly right, those things once truly changed makes a massive difference. The problem is to be able to honestly reach them does take a while…
Yes, Paola. But I’m learning first of all to be honest about it and then patient with myself.
beautiful quote.Letting go is a huge lesson in life.I have learnt to let go of things that no longer serve me.
I think so often we don’t recognize what harms us because we have grown accustom to the pain those harmful things cause us; we normalize the pains we experience. This is a wonderful way to begin looking at our lives and let the healing begin.