“We live by losing and leaving and letting go. And sooner or later, with more or less pain, we all must come to know that loss is indeed a lifelong human condition.”
- Judith Viorst –
Loss is fundamental to life. It confronts us everyday. Blossoms fade. One season claims another even as the tide erodes the shore. Loss is part of that ebb and flow, part of the natural cycle of growth and decay.
How many times have you been roused from sleep with your restless mind racing: “Why me? Why did this happen to me? Why did I deserve this?” Some people may even get locked in one phase of their grief, unable to wake up and move on. Because they couldn’t let go, their grief has turned their loss into a permanent affliction.
Inevitably, you have to accept that every loss is a challenge to grow. Yet growth requires change, albeit often painful. To let go is a decision. To move on is a matter of choice. Deciding to heal means NOT giving up on yourself and your future.
Letting go of anger and guilt can help you find forgiveness and inner peace. That is the first step that will carry you forward to your journey of renewal.
The next important step is to let go of possessions and routines that no longer serve a purpose other than to let you stay longer in denial. Carve out a new space in your life to enable you to grow beyond your loss.
Letting go also means abandoning all unanswered questions. Stop asking why things turned out the way they did. Things happen for a reason and more often than not, they are beyond your control. Stop blaming yourself. There was nothing you could have done to change the circumstances.
To let go, you must start pulling up your anchor and prepare to sail on. You do not know where the current may carry you that is why the biggest challenge that lies ahead is how to let go of the fear of letting go. But then, you just have to trust yourself and trust life enough to go with the flow. You have already survived the worst. You are now on your way out of misery.
Blessings to all,
Bing
Image Source: Angel Releasing Broken Heart by RachaelArt
March 17th, 2009 at 5:27 am
Hi Bing,
I love this article. Just what I needed to read today.
Take Care,
Janet
March 28th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Beautiful post Bing. I went through that “why me” stage and it was a miserable existence. We go through a series of emotions after encountering any type of loss . . . it can become an endless cycle if we let it.
Blessings to you . . . Gina