Sometimes the ferris wheel doesn’t stop. Your mind vibrates, with a blending of words and faces, while you attempt to drown out the noise by replacing it with other thoughts. What happens isn’t completely unexpected, you still are on the same seat, moving in a continuous circle. You want the whispers to stop, but don’t know how.  These thoughts linger in you like a terminal illness.

You write it down. You vent to a friend. You innundate your spouse with scenarios and hypotheticals of this and that, knowing that he is probably half-listening. You repeat the story ten times during the week to anyone who cares to listen. Understanding that, the single thing you need to do is to “Let IT go.”

My husband loves this philosophy and has repeated it to me on several occasions. Ok, I am saying it – I have a hard time letting things go. I can probably cite a dozen examples of things I should forget, but won’t because I am convinced that by thinking of it constantly, it will make it better. It won’t.

But what happens when you don’t let go? Nothing and everything. By holding on to past hurt or disappointment or unkind words, you inhibit your own progress. For that every one unkind gesture, there are probably at least ten things that have gone right. It’s all in perception, right? By focusing on the negative and harboring resentment, you rob yourself of other right moments. You cheat yourself out of a more authentic and rich life.

So today, I am going to take a pledge to let one thing go. Won’t you join me?

_______________________________________________________________________________

Do you have a hard time letting things go? What are strategies that you employ to help you let go? What are the things that you hold on to?  Do you think men are better at letting things go than women? Why or why not?