I believe one of the hardest things in life that we have to do at some point is learn to let go. I think it is one of the hardest things to do because it isn't always something we want to do but something that we must do. We may have to let go of a thought, a feeling, a person, a situation or even an item. We call it letting go because there is an emotional element and or attachment involved otherwise it would be simply throwing it away.
If we are in a place where we view something and say to ourselves, "I have to let this go," it is usually as a result of pain or memories. Pain and memories that we can no longer carry and we are searching for peace inside of ourselves. It is natural for us to replay past experiences over in our minds and in many cases this can help make us become stronger. It can teach us and help us grow but by doing this we can really hurt ourselves to the point of emotional destruction at the very same time.
I know myself, I have had many people say to me at times about various situations, "Just let it go Stacey." The question that often came to mind is "but how?" As much as we want to feel in total control of ourselves, sometimes we are not in control of our minds. More often then not we have no control over our minds and where it decides to go and as a result of our thinking, we feel. Control over our minds is something that we must learn and practice, it is not something that just is. It is really amazing how closely connected our mind and thoughts are to the feelings we experience inside of ourselves. A good thought will give us a rush of excitement or joy the same way a bad one can give us a rush of hurt and anxiety. With that being said, letting go is something that starts within our minds and can lead us to peace within our bodies. By telling ourselves, "it's okay to let this go" or "you need to let this go and you are strong enough to do it," you make peace with yourself and that internal battle that happens when you tell yourself you are crazy for not "just letting it go" the way those around you and even yourself tells you, you must do. Letting go of something doesn't mean you are weak, it doesn't mean you don't care, it doesn't mean you are crazy or ridiculous for holding onto it for so long. It simply means that you have had it, you carried it, you saw it, understand it, learnt from it and now to progress in this life you are going to gently place it to the side by letting it go. We all deserve inner peace and the ability to feel good inside and by letting go of the experiences, situations and people. The experiences, situations and people that don't allow us to feel the way we, as human beings deserve to feel we are showing ourselves a love and loyalty by letting it go. Replacing thoughts that can tear us apart with thoughts of strength can give us what we need to get through anything.